cyun4 san1存身
Jyutpingcyun4 san1
Yalechyùhn sān
Definition
To take shelter; to find a place to stay or live.
writtenplacesdaily actions
How it's used
Literary in tone, this term is rarely used in casual daily speech to describe seeking physical cover from rain or danger. It carries a slightly formal or dramatic nuance, often implying a more permanent or desperate need for a place to stay rather than just ducking into a shop for a few minutes.
Examples
It is raining heavily outside, let's find a place to take shelter first.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 避雨, which is the standard, everyday way to say taking shelter from rain. Using 存身 in a casual context can sound overly poetic or like you are narrating a historical drama.
Grammar color guide
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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.
