waan4 sei2玩死
Jyutpingwaan4 sei2
Yalewàahn séi
Definition
To trick, play a prank on, or tease someone to the point of exhaustion, misery, or death.
colloquialemotionwork
How it's used
Describes a situation where someone is put through extreme difficulty, stress, or failure due to the actions of another person or an unreasonable demand. It carries a strong sense of frustration and helplessness, often implying that the victim is being toyed with or pushed to their breaking point. While it literally contains the word for death, it is used figuratively to mean being driven to exhaustion or failure.
Examples
You've completely sabotaged me like this, how am I supposed to report back?
Related words
Common phrases
to drive people crazy or cause them extreme trouble
Common mistake
Avoid using this in formal or professional settings, as it sounds aggressive and highly informal. It is not meant to be taken literally as causing someone to die, but rather as causing them severe professional or personal distress.
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.
