wu4 naau6胡鬧胡闹
Jyutpingwu4 naau6
Yalewùh naauh
Definition
To behave mischievously, horse around, or cause trouble and annoyance.
colloquialpeopledaily actions
How it's used
胡鬧 carries a sense of disapproval towards behavior that is seen as childish, disruptive, or lacking in seriousness. It is often used to describe adults who act immaturely or people who intentionally stir up chaos in a professional or formal setting. Unlike simple playfulness, it implies that the actions are actively causing a nuisance to others.
Examples
You kids, stop horsing around!
He is always causing trouble at the office, it is really annoying.
Related words
Common phrases
to have a bit of a rowdy time
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 玩 which simply means to play. 胡鬧 is specifically negative and implies that the behavior is inappropriate or problematic for the current situation.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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).
