cong1 hoi2滄海沧海
Jyutpingcong1 hoi2
Yalechōng hói
Definition
The vast blue ocean.
writtennature
How it's used
Primarily appears in literary contexts or idioms rather than casual daily speech. It evokes a sense of immense scale or the inevitable passage of time. Most speakers only encounter it through the set phrase 滄海桑田, which describes drastic environmental or social transformation.
Examples
Life is as insignificant as a single grain of sand in the vast ocean.
Seeing these changes of time, where the sea has turned into mulberry fields, is truly moving.
Related words
Common phrases
the sea changes into mulberry fields; great changes over time
a drop in the ocean
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe actual bodies of water in conversation, as it sounds overly poetic or archaic. Use 海 or 大海 instead for literal references.
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.
