tou4 naan6逃難逃难
Definition
To flee from a calamity or disaster, especially during a war; to become a refugee.
How it's used
While 逃難 is the standard dictionary term, Cantonese speakers almost exclusively use the phrase 走難 in daily conversation. The character 走 here functions as a verb meaning to run away or escape, which is a very common pattern in Cantonese for describing urgent departures. It carries a heavy sense of desperation and historical weight, often associated with the mass migrations during times of conflict.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistake 走難 for simply running away from a minor problem, but it specifically implies fleeing from a major disaster, war, or life-threatening situation. Using it to describe leaving a boring party or a minor inconvenience sounds overly dramatic and unnatural.
Grammar color guide
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.
