do1 si6多事
Jyutpingdo1 si6
Yaledō sih
Definition
Nosy; meddlesome; interfering in other people's business.
colloquialpeopledescriptions
How it's used
Carries a strong negative connotation of being intrusive or overstepping boundaries. It is frequently used to shut down someone who is asking prying questions or interfering in situations where they have no stake. While it describes a person's behavior, it is almost exclusively used as a criticism rather than a neutral observation.
Examples
Don't be so nosy about other people's family matters.
Why are you always so meddlesome, asking people about their salaries?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the Mandarin usage where it can sometimes mean having a lot of things to do or being busy. In Cantonese, it almost always refers to being a busybody.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
