tok3 caam3托杉
Jyutpingtok3 caam3
Yaletok chaam
Definition
To do something pointless, boring, or meaningless.
colloquialdaily actionsslang
How it's used
Carrying a cannon is physically exhausting and impractical, which serves as the perfect metaphor for wasting effort on tasks that yield no results. It is often used to describe busywork or projects that are doomed to fail from the start. The term carries a sense of frustration or annoyance regarding the futility of the situation.
Examples
Why are you doing such a pointless thing? It's completely useless.
Related words
Common phrases
to be exhausted from doing pointless work
Common mistake
Do not use this in formal or professional settings, as it is highly colloquial and implies a lack of respect for the task or the person assigning it.
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.
