Mal Kadanawa (මල් කඩනවා)

In its literal sense, this Sinhala phrase simply translates to "plucking flowers." However, in Sri Lankan youth culture and casual slang, it has evolved into a highly popular idiom used to describe having long, romantic, cheesy, or flirtatious conversations, most commonly over a phone call or through text messages. It is the local equivalent of "sweet-talking" or being deeply engrossed in the honeymoon phase of a new romance. The phrase is almost exclusively used in a playful, mocking, or teasing manner. When a friend isolates themselves from the group to whisper into their phone for hours, or stays up late into the night chatting with a crush or partner, their friends will mockingly accuse them of "plucking flowers." Because of its lighthearted and highly relatable nature, it is universally understood and heavily used to poke fun at someone's active dating life. Examples: - Person A: "Where is Kasun? He has been missing since we got here." - Person B (Playful Teasing): "ඌ අර කොනට වෙලා මල් කඩනවා (U ara konata wela mal kadanawa / He is in that corner sweet-talking on the phone), his girlfriend just called."