tan1 sai6吞噬
Jyutpingtan1 sai6
Yaletān saih
Definition
To devour, swallow up, or completely engulf and destroy.
writtendescriptionsother
How it's used
Used primarily in formal or literary contexts to describe intense destruction or total absorption. While it can be used metaphorically for abstract concepts like greed or power, it sounds overly dramatic in casual daily conversation. For literal eating, Cantonese speakers prefer using 食晒 or 吞落肚.
Examples
The fire devoured the whole house.
Are you trying to swallow up all the resources?
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this word for normal eating habits. It implies a violent or overwhelming process, so using it to describe someone eating a meal will sound bizarre or unintentionally threatening.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
