wan5殞殒
Jyutpingwan5
Yalewáhn
Definition
To perish, die, or fall.
- literaryto die; to perish
- literaryto fall from the sky
writtenpeople
How it's used
Reserved for formal or literary contexts, this term is rarely used in everyday speech. It carries a heavy, tragic tone often associated with the loss of a life or the decline of a prominent figure. You will mostly encounter it in news reports or historical accounts rather than casual conversation.
Examples
They perished on the battlefield.
Why did he pass away at such a young age?
Related words
Common phrases
to lose one's life
to fall or decline
Common mistake
Avoid using this in place of common words like 死 or 過身, as it sounds overly dramatic or poetic in normal social settings. It is strictly reserved for solemn or written contexts.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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Classifier
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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).
