can1 sin6親善亲善
Jyutpingcan1 sin6
Yalechān sihn
Definition
Friendly; of goodwill and amicable relations.
neutralpeopledescriptions
How it's used
While often used in formal titles like 親善大使, in casual conversation it describes a person's approachable and warm demeanor. It carries a slightly more polite or refined nuance compared to the more common 友善. It is frequently used to describe someone who makes others feel comfortable through their gentle attitude.
Examples
He is very friendly to people, everyone likes him.
Can you be friendlier to the new colleague?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 友善, but 親善 is less common in everyday speech and can sound slightly formal or literary depending on the context. Using it to describe casual friends might sound a bit stiff.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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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.
