tou4 lei4逃離逃离
Jyutpingtou4 lei4
Yaletòuh lèih
Definition
To escape or flee from a dangerous place for safety.
writtendaily actions
How it's used
This term carries a formal and dramatic tone, often used in news reports or written narratives to describe escaping from a disaster or a high-stakes situation. In everyday casual speech, locals prefer using 走 or 走佬 to describe leaving a place quickly, as 逃離 sounds quite literary and serious.
Examples
He was scared and immediately fled from that place.
How did you escape from this dangerous environment?
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this in casual contexts like leaving a party or a boring meeting, as it implies a life-threatening situation or a serious emergency. Using it for trivial matters makes the speaker sound overly dramatic or like they are reading from a script.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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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.
