cyun4 sam1存心
Jyutpingcyun4 sam1
Yalechyùhn sām
Definition
To do something deliberately or intentionally.
colloquialemotiondaily actions
How it's used
Carries a negative connotation, almost exclusively used to describe someone doing something bad or annoying on purpose. It implies a sense of malice or deliberate mischief rather than just a neutral plan. You will rarely hear it used for positive or benign intentions.
Examples
Is he intentionally trying to make me angry?
I didn't intend to be late, it was just a traffic jam.
Related words
Common phrases
to have malicious intent
to intentionally act against someone
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe neutral plans or goals, such as intending to go to the cinema. It is reserved for when someone is causing trouble or acting against someone else's interests.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
