daan1 si1單思单思
Jyutpingdaan1 si1
Yaledāan sī
Definition
To yearn for someone one-sidedly; to have an unrequited crush.
colloquialemotionpeople
How it's used
Focuses on the one-sided nature of the longing, implying the person being missed is likely unaware or uninterested. It carries a slightly melancholic or critical tone, often used when friends advise someone to stop wasting their energy on an unrequited crush.
Examples
She is always pining for that boy, it is really silly.
Are you still pining for them? Just let it go.
Related words
Common phrases
lovesickness
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 諗起, which simply means to remember or think of someone. Unlike 諗起, which can be neutral or positive, 單思 carries the specific weight of unrequited or obsessive longing.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- 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.
