cou1 sam1 daai6 ji3粗心大意
Jyutpingcou1 sam1 daai6 ji3
Yalechōu sām daaih yi
Definition
Careless, negligent, and inattentive to details.
colloquialdescriptionspeople
How it's used
Focuses on a lack of attention to detail that leads to avoidable mistakes. While it implies a personality trait, it is frequently used to criticize specific actions or recent blunders. It carries a slightly more formal or literary weight compared to the more common colloquial expression 唔帶腦.
Examples
Don't be so careless with your work, check it thoroughly before submitting.
He is always so careless, causing others to have to clean up his mess.
Related words
Common phrases
to have a careless personality
because of carelessness
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a verb, but it functions strictly as an adjective. You cannot say 佢粗心大意咗, as you would need to add a verb like 變得 to indicate a change in state.
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.
