caap3 seoi2插水
Definition
To dive headfirst into water, or to plummet and fall sharply.
- to dive headfirst into water, especially from a high springboard
- figurativeto plummet, crash, or drop sharply (of stock prices, sales, or data)
How it's used
Beyond the literal meaning of diving into a pool, this term is widely used metaphorically to describe a sudden and sharp decline in values, such as stock prices, sales figures, or even a person's health. It carries a sense of speed and lack of control, similar to how a diver plunges headfirst into water. When used in sports, it can also imply a deliberate, sometimes exaggerated, fall to deceive a referee, similar to flopping in basketball or soccer.
Examples
Related words
Common phrases
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the English loanword 潛水, which means to go underwater or to go silent/inactive in online chat groups. While both involve water, 插水 implies a rapid, downward motion, whereas 潛水 implies staying submerged or hiding.
Grammar color guide
Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
