cyun2舛
Jyutpingcyun2
Yalechyún
Definition
Mistaken, contradictory, or going against.
- mistaken; erroneous; astray
- contradictory; to oppose; to go against
- literaryhapless; ill-fated
writtenemotiondescriptions
How it's used
This character is primarily used in formal or literary contexts to describe misfortune or things going against one's wishes. While it appears in the idiom 命途多舛, it is rarely used in casual daily speech, where speakers would prefer words like 唔好彩 or 倒霉. Using it in a casual conversation can sound overly dramatic or archaic.
Examples
He has been having really bad luck lately.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 舛 in the sense of 'contradictory' as used in formal written Chinese, but in spoken Cantonese, it is almost exclusively used to describe a streak of bad luck or a difficult life path.
Grammar color guide
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Verb
Adjective
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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.
