wai3 laam4蔚藍蔚蓝
Jyutpingwai3 laam4
Yalewai làahm
Definition
Sky blue; cerulean, resembling the color of a clear sky.
writtencoloursnature
How it's used
This term is primarily found in written or literary contexts rather than casual daily speech. It evokes a sense of poetic beauty or clarity, often used to describe vast, clear skies or deep, calm seas. You will rarely hear it used in a conversation about mundane objects like clothes or stationery.
Examples
The sky is so cerulean today.
Do you like the color cerulean?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a common everyday color word, but it is far more descriptive and formal than basic colors like 藍色. Using it to describe a blue shirt or a blue pen will sound unnatural and overly dramatic.
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.
