ging1 sam1驚心惊心
Jyutpingging1 sam1
Yalegīng sām
Definition
To feel deep fear or terror in one's heart.
colloquialemotion
How it's used
Focuses on an internal, lingering sense of fear or unease rather than an immediate physical reaction to a threat. It is frequently used to describe the psychological impact of hearing bad news or witnessing something unsettling. Unlike more common words for fear, it carries a slightly more literary or dramatic weight in casual speech.
Examples
After watching that movie, I really felt a sense of dread.
Related words
Common phrases
shocking to the eye and heart
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 驚, which is the general verb for being scared or startled. 驚心 implies a deeper, more reflective state of being disturbed or unsettled by a situation.
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.
