haa6 ji3 sik1下意識下意识
Jyutpinghaa6 ji3 sik1
Yalehah yi sīk
Definition
Subconscious; subconsciousness; a thought or reaction made immediately without thinking.
colloquialdaily actionsemotion
How it's used
Refers to actions or thoughts that occur automatically without conscious deliberation, often triggered by habit or instinct. It is frequently used to describe physical reactions like flinching or pulling away, as well as immediate gut feelings or snap judgments. Unlike formal psychological terms, it fits perfectly into casual conversation when explaining why someone did something without thinking.
Examples
He dodged the ball by reflex.
Do you subconsciously feel that he is lying?
Related words
Common phrases
subconscious reaction
subconscious movement
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe deliberate actions that you simply regret later. It specifically requires the action to be involuntary or instantaneous, not just an impulsive choice made in the heat of the moment.
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).
