fuk6 si6服侍
Jyutpingfuk6 si6
Yalefuhk sih
Definition
To serve, attend to, or look after someone, especially a person of higher status or someone in need.
colloquialpeopledaily actions
How it's used
Carries a strong nuance of servitude or catering to someone's whims, often implying a power imbalance. While it can mean looking after the elderly or sick, it is frequently used sarcastically in casual arguments to accuse someone of being overly demanding or entitled. It sounds much more subservient than general caregiving terms like 照顧.
Examples
He has to serve his boss all the time, it is so exhausting.
Related words
Common phrases
to look after the elderly
to serve someone very attentively
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe basic caregiving between equals or friends, as it implies the person being served is superior or difficult to please. Using it to describe looking after a child can sound unnatural or overly dramatic.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
