zau2 gaap3 m4 tau2走夾唔唞走夹唔唞
Jyutpingzau2 gaap3 m4 tau2
Yalejáu gaap m̀h táu
Definition
To flee or leave in a great hurry, not daring to stop even for a moment to rest.
colloquialdaily actionsslang
How it's used
This expression vividly captures the image of someone running away so fast they do not even pause to catch their breath. It is almost exclusively used to describe fleeing from a dangerous, embarrassing, or highly undesirable situation. While it sounds humorous due to the rhyming structure, it implies a genuine state of panic or extreme urgency.
Examples
Seeing the police arrive, the group immediately fled in a panic.
Related words
Common phrases
scared into fleeing without stopping
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with general phrases for leaving quickly like 走先, but this specific idiom implies a sense of fear or desperate escape rather than just being in a hurry to get to an appointment.
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.
