teoi4 fai3頹廢颓废
Jyutpingteoi4 fai3
Yaletèuih fai
Definition
Dispirited, disheartened, or lacking the motivation to do anything.
colloquialemotiondaily actions
How it's used
Often shortened to just 頹 in casual speech, which functions as a versatile adjective to describe a state of laziness, lack of ambition, or simply hanging around doing nothing. It carries a sense of aimless indulgence, such as spending an entire weekend in bed watching videos without showering. Unlike the formal definition, it is frequently used in a self-deprecating way to describe one's own unproductive behavior.
Examples
He hides at home all day, he is so dispirited.
Why are you so disheartened? Cheer up.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with being clinically depressed, as the Cantonese usage is much lighter and usually refers to a temporary lack of motivation or a lazy lifestyle rather than a serious mental health condition.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
