wan5 lok6隕落陨落
Jyutpingwan5 lok6
Yalewáhn lohk
Definition
To fall from the sky, as of meteors; used figuratively for the passing of a celebrity, the decline of a place, or the downfall of a company.
- to fall from the sky, as of meteors or spacecraft
- figurativeto pass away, of a celebrity or great figure; to decline or collapse, of a place or enterprise
writtenpeopleother
How it's used
Primarily used in formal writing or news reporting rather than casual daily speech. It carries a sense of tragic or dramatic loss, often implying that something once bright or prominent has faded away. When referring to people, it is a respectful and slightly poetic euphemism for death.
Examples
It is such a pity that the superstar passed away so suddenly.
The closing of this old-established restaurant makes the neighbors very sad.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this word to describe the simple or mundane closing of a small business or a regular person passing away, as it sounds overly dramatic and pretentious in those contexts.
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.
