tung1 siu1 daat6 daan3通宵達旦通宵达旦
Jyutpingtung1 siu1 daat6 daan3
Yaletūng sīu daaht daan
Definition
All night long until daybreak; through the whole night.
colloquialtimedaily actions
How it's used
This idiom carries a slightly literary or formal tone despite being used in everyday speech to describe intense activities. It implies a sense of dedication or obsession, often used when someone is working, studying, or partying without stopping until sunrise. It is more descriptive and emphatic than simply saying 成晚.
Examples
They played video games all night long, now they can't even open their eyes.
Do you really have to pull an all-nighter to finish that report?
Related words
Common phrases
doing something all night long
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a simple verb, but it functions as an adverbial phrase describing the duration of an action. Avoid using it for casual sleep, as it specifically highlights the active, non-stop nature of the time spent awake.
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.
