cau1 seoi2 ji1 jan4秋水伊人

Jyutpingcau1 seoi2 ji1 jan4

Yalechāu séui yī yàhn

Definition

The beloved person or friend one is longing for; also used to describe a woman of bright and clear beauty.

literarythe beloved person or friend one is longing for
literarya woman of bright, clear beauty

writtenemotionpeople

How it's used

Originating from the Book of Songs, this idiom is highly literary and carries a poetic, slightly melancholic tone. It is rarely used in casual daily speech and is more common in written prose, song lyrics, or formal descriptions of longing. Using it in a mundane context might sound overly dramatic or pretentious to a native speaker.

Examples

keoi5佢seng4成jat6日mong6望zyu6住zoeng1張soeng3相，zan1真hai6係cau1秋seoi2水ji1伊jan4人gam3咁joeng2樣。

He keeps looking at the photo, truly longing for his old friend.

nei5你hai6係mai6咪nam2諗hei2起cau1秋seoi2水ji1伊jan4人aa4呀？

Are you thinking of someone you miss?

Common phrases

mong6望cyun1穿cau1秋seoi2水

to gaze until one's eyes are weary with longing

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for a literal description of water or a physical place, but it is strictly used to describe the emotional state of missing someone or the beauty of a person being missed. It is not a standard way to describe a person's actual physical appearance in modern conversation.