bun3 sai3半世
Jyutpingbun3 sai3
Yalebun sai
Definition
Half a lifetime.
colloquialtimepeople
How it's used
Often used with the character 人 following it to emphasize the duration of a human life. It carries a slightly dramatic or weary tone, suggesting a long, significant period of time that has passed or is being spent. It is frequently used in complaints or reflections about how much time has been invested in a person or place.
Examples
He has lived here for half his life.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe literal time measurements like hours or minutes, as it specifically refers to the span of a human life. It is not a precise mathematical term but an idiomatic expression for a long duration.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
