diu1 sang1丟生丢生
Jyutpingdiu1 sang1
Yaledīu sāng
Definition
To become rusty at a skill once mastered due to a lack of practice or usage.
colloquialdaily actions
How it's used
Focuses specifically on the loss of physical dexterity or mental sharpness that was previously mastered. It implies a sense of regret or self-deprecation regarding one's current performance compared to a past peak. It is commonly used for hobbies like playing instruments, sports, or foreign languages.
Examples
I haven't played the piano for so long, my hands have really become rusty.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the Mandarin term 生疏, which is a broader term for being unfamiliar or out of touch with people or things. In Cantonese, 丟生 is strictly about the degradation of a specific skill due to lack of practice.
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).
