bei1 soeng1悲傷悲伤
Jyutpingbei1 soeng1
Yalebēi sēung
Definition
Sad, grieved, or sorrowful.
neutralemotion
How it's used
Expressing deep sadness or grief, this term carries a formal and literary weight that makes it less common in casual, everyday speech. While it is perfectly understandable, native speakers usually prefer more direct, visceral adjectives like 傷心 or 唔開心 to describe their emotional state. It is more frequently encountered in written media, song lyrics, or when describing a profound, heavy sense of loss.
Examples
Seeing how sad he is, I don't even know how to comfort him.
Why do you look so sorrowful today?
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this word to describe minor inconveniences or fleeting moods, as it implies a significant depth of sorrow. Using it to describe being slightly annoyed or disappointed will sound unnatural or overly dramatic.
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.
