小心
siu2 sam1
To say "be careful" in Cantonese, you use 小心 (siu2 sam1).
小心 is a warning used to tell someone to avoid danger or a mistake. Adding the comparative particle 啲 after it, as in 小心啲, is a common way to say "be a bit more careful" or "be more careful" during daily conversation.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 小心 is composed of the characters for "small" (小) and "heart" (心), literally meaning "small heart", which implies one should be cautious or prudent.
How does it change in a sentence?
In spoken Cantonese, adding the sentence-final particle 呀 to the end of 小心 to make 小心呀 makes the warning sound more natural and less like a blunt command. Additionally, adding the comparative particle 啲 after 小心 creates the phrase 小心啲, meaning "be a bit more careful".
How do you pronounce it?
siu2 sam1
Did you know?
- In certain contexts, 小心 can be used as a subtle threat, implying that the listener should be careful about how they behave if they want to avoid trouble.
- If you want to tell someone to be extremely careful, you can double the phrase to say 小心小心, which acts as an intensive warning.
- The concept of the 'heart' 心 in 小心 refers not just to the organ, but to the seat of intelligence and mindfulness in traditional Chinese thought.
Examples in context
- 小心唔好立亂搞佢。Be careful not to tamper with it.The sentence is useful for showing how to warn someone not to tamper with something using 小心.Tatoeba #4646227 by kaenif, translation #2047694 by CK
- 小心呀，唔好踩落啲泥到。Be careful not to step in the mud.The sentence is useful for warning someone to avoid stepping in mud using 小心.Tatoeba #5953743 by nickyeow, translation #5937694 by mailohilohi
- 行路要小心。You must be careful when walking.The sentence is useful for advising someone to be careful while walking using 小心.Tatoeba #10758978 by LeeSooHa, translation #10758979 by LeeSooHa
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Meiling and Ka Ming are walking through a construction site.
- 美玲 Mei Ling路面好唔平，你要小心呀。lou min hou m ping, nei jiu siu sam a.The ground is very uneven, you must be careful.
- 家明 Ka Ming收到，我會小心行。sau dou, ngo wui siu sam haang.Got it, I will walk carefully.
- 美玲 Mei Ling睇路呀，小心啲呀。tai lou a, siu sam di a.Watch the road, be careful.
- 家明 Ka Ming唔使驚，我知點行。m sai ging, ngo zi dim haang.Don't worry, I know how to walk.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
