wai2毀毁
Jyutpingwai2
Yalewái
Definition
To destroy, ruin, or damage.
neutraldaily actionsdescriptions
How it's used
While 毀 is understood in spoken Cantonese, it carries a formal or literary weight that makes it feel slightly dramatic in casual conversation. Native speakers typically prefer using 整爛 or 破壞 to describe breaking or damaging physical objects. Use 毀 when describing the total ruin of something abstract, like a reputation or a long-standing plan.
Examples
Why did you destroy the model?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often use 毀 interchangeably with 爛, but 爛 is an adjective meaning broken or damaged, whereas 毀 is a transitive verb requiring an object to be destroyed. You cannot say 呢樣嘢好毀, as that is grammatically incorrect.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
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Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
