taan1坍
Jyutpingtaan1
Yaletāan
Definition
To collapse, cave in, or crumble down.
neutralnatureplaces
How it's used
Refers specifically to the structural failure of buildings, hillsides, or tunnels. While often used in news reports regarding natural disasters, it is less common in casual daily speech compared to 冧, which is the preferred colloquial term for things falling down or collapsing.
Examples
The landslide caused the road to collapse.
Related words
Common phrases
landslide
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 冧, which is much more versatile and used for everything from collapsing structures to people falling in love or fainting.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
