cai1 mei5淒美凄美
Jyutpingcai1 mei5
Yalechāi méih
Definition
Sad but beautiful; poignant and moving.
neutraldescriptionsemotion
How it's used
Focuses on an aesthetic appreciation of sorrow, often used to describe tragic romances or artistic works that evoke a sense of melancholy beauty. It implies that the sadness itself contributes to the overall allure or poignancy of the situation. Unlike simply saying something is sad, this term suggests a level of refinement or poetic quality in the suffering.
Examples
The ending of this movie is truly sad yet beautiful.
Do you think this story is sad but beautiful or just tragic?
Related words
Common phrases
a sad but beautiful love affair
a sad but beautiful story
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe everyday unfortunate events like losing your keys or missing a bus, as it specifically requires a sense of artistic or romantic tragedy.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
