fan1 sam1分心
Jyutpingfan1 sam1
Yalefān sām
Definition
To be distracted; to divide one's attention and fail to focus on a single task.
colloquialdaily actionswork
How it's used
Focus on the inability to maintain concentration on a single task due to external or internal interference. It is frequently used in contexts involving study, work, or driving where maintaining focus is critical. Unlike the English verb distract, which often implies an active agent causing the disruption, 分心 is commonly used intransitively to describe the state of the person losing their own focus.
Examples
Don't get distracted by your phone while you are doing homework.
They get distracted so easily all the time, how are they supposed to study?
Related words
Common phrases
very easily distracted
do not get distracted
Common mistake
Avoid using 分心 as a transitive verb to mean 'to distract someone else'. To say you are distracting someone, use 騷擾 or 搞亂佢 instead.
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.
