慢
maan⁶
The English word "slow" is translated into Cantonese as 慢 (maan⁶).
慢 is an adjective used to describe motion that is not quick. For a more descriptive and characteristically sluggish feeling, you can use the reduplicated form 慢吞吞, which implies a person or action is being slow and dragging.
Meaning: not quick in motion (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
To express that something has become slow or is currently running slow, such as a clock, you can add the particle 咗 after 慢 to form 慢咗. To create the comparative form "slower" or to politely ask someone to slow down, add 啲 after 慢 to form 慢啲.
How do you pronounce it?
maan⁶
Did you know?
- When saying goodbye to someone leaving for a journey, Cantonese speakers often say 慢走, which literally means 'walk slowly'. It is a way of telling the person to take care and travel safely.
- The phrase 慢吞吞 used for sluggishness contains the word 吞, which means 'to swallow'. It evokes the image of someone moving as slowly as a large animal swallowing food.
- In Cantonese dining culture, describing service as 慢 is a common way to complain to staff without being overtly aggressive, using speed as a proxy for service quality.
Examples in context
- 你隻錶慢咗十分鐘。Your watch is ten minutes slow.This example shows how to use 慢 to describe a watch that is running behind time.Tatoeba #617516 by nickyeow, translation #17107 by CN
- 上菜上得好慢，不過嘢食搭救。The service was pretty slow, but the food made up for that.This sentence uses 慢 to describe the speed of food service.Tatoeba #5798966 by nickyeow, translation #5798968 by nickyeow
- 你呢排覆得咁慢，係咪好忙呀？Your replies have been slow lately. Have you been busy?This sentence uses 慢 to describe the slow pace of someone's replies.Tatoeba #6082076 by nickyeow, translation #3195488 by Tappity
- 你可唔可以講慢啲？ (nei5 ho2 m4 ho2 ji5 gong2 mahn6 di1?)Could you please speak slower?
- 請行慢啲。 (cing2 hang4 mahn6 di1.)Please walk slower.
- 我哋慢慢啲啦。 (ngo5 dei6 mahn6 mahn6 di1 laa1.)Let's take it easy.
- 行慢啲Walk slower
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ka Yan and Zi Kin are walking through a crowded market.
- 嘉欣 Ka Yan呢度啲人行得好慢。ni1 dou6 di1 jan4 hang4 dak1 hou2 maan6.The people here are walking very slowly.
- 子健 Tsz Kin係呀，我哋要行快啲。hai6 aa3, ngo5 dei6 jiu3 hang4 faai3 di1.Yeah, we need to walk faster.
- 嘉欣 Ka Yan子健，你行得太慢喇。zi2 gin6, nei5 hang4 dak1 taai3 maan6 laa3.Zi Kin, you are walking too slowly.
- 子健 Tsz Kin好喇，我跟住你行。hou2 laa3, ngo5 gan1 zy6 nei5 hang4.Okay, I'll walk with you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “slow” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
