cing1 sau3清瘦
Jyutpingcing1 sau3
Yalechīng sau
Definition
Thin or lean, especially as a polite description of weight loss or due to illness.
colloquialbodyhealth
How it's used
Carries a slightly more refined or sympathetic tone than simply saying 瘦. It is often used to describe someone who has lost weight due to illness, stress, or hard work, implying a sense of fragility or delicate appearance. Unlike the blunt 瘦, it suggests a noticeable change in physique that might evoke concern.
Examples
Have you been very busy lately? Why have you become so thin?
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe someone who is naturally slim or athletic, as it specifically implies a recent loss of weight or a frail condition. Calling a healthy, fit person 清瘦 might sound like you are implying they look sickly.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
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.
