cai1 cing1淒清凄清
Jyutpingcai1 cing1
Yalechāi chīng
Definition
Desolate and dreary; miserable, cold, and lonely.
colloquialdescriptionsemotion
How it's used
Focuses on the combination of physical emptiness and the emotional sadness that arises from it. It is often used to describe places or atmospheres that feel abandoned, cold, or lacking in human warmth. Unlike simple sadness, it carries a sense of quiet, lingering melancholy.
Examples
Living alone in that house, he feels so miserable and lonely.
The streets are so desolate and somber late at night, aren't you scared?
Related words
Common phrases
a miserable and desolate scene
a somber and lonely environment
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe personal feelings of sadness like being upset or angry. It is primarily reserved for describing environments, scenes, or the general atmosphere of a situation rather than an individual's internal mood.
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.
