傷心
soeng1 sam1
The Cantonese word for 'sad' is 傷心 (soeng1 sam1).
傷心 is used to describe a feeling of deep emotional sorrow or heartbreak.
Meaning: feeling sorrow (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 傷, meaning 'hurt' or 'wound' and 心, meaning 'heart'.
Which one should you use?
While 傷心 implies deep emotional sorrow or heartbreak, 唔開心 is a more general term for being unhappy or in a bad mood.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say someone is 'very sad', you add the adverb 好 before 傷心, resulting in 好傷心.
How do you pronounce it?
soeng1 sam1
Did you know?
- In Cantonese culture, expressing 傷心 through loud wailing at funerals was historically seen as a way to show filial piety. Extreme outward expressions of sadness were often a social duty rather than just a personal feeling.
- A person who is 'sad' or 'depressed' in a more chronic, heavy sense might be described as 頹 (teoi4), a slang term often used to describe someone who has 'collapsed' or lost all spirit.
- When someone is sad due to unfairness or resentment, they may use 委屈. This describes a specific feeling of being 'wronged' or 'mistreated' that English often splits between sadness and frustration.
Examples in context
- 佢因為失戀而感到好傷心。(He feels very sad because of the breakup.)
- 佢聽日要搬走，我真係好傷心。keoi5 ting1 jat6 jiu3 bun1 zau2, ngo5 zan1 hai6 hou2 soeng1 sam1.He is moving away tomorrow, I am really sad.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking in a cafe about a breakup.
- 美玲 Mei Ling你點解好似好傷心咁？nei5 dim2 gaai2 hou2 ci5 hou2 soeng1 sam1 gam2?Why do you look so sad?
- 子健 Tsz Kin我啱啱同女朋友分手。ngo5 ngaam1 ngaam1 tung4 neoi5 bouer6 leoi5 fan1 cau2.I just broke up with my girlfriend.
- 美玲 Mei Ling唔好咁傷心呀，一切都會好返嘅。m4 hou2 gam2 soeng1 sam1 aa3, jat1 jat6 dou1 wui5 hou2 faan1 ge3.Don't be so sad, everything will get better.
- 子健 Tsz Kin多謝你嘅安慰。do1 ze6 nei5 ge3 on1 wai3.Thank you for your comfort.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
