ho4 seoi1何須何须
Jyutpingho4 seoi1
Yalehòh sēui
Definition
No need to; why bother; there is no necessity to do something.
writtendescriptionscommunication
How it's used
Carries a literary or slightly dramatic tone that feels out of place in casual, everyday speech. It is most frequently encountered in written text, song lyrics, or when someone wants to sound particularly poetic or rhetorical in conversation. Using it in a mundane context, like asking someone not to buy lunch, will sound overly formal or sarcastic.
Examples
Since he doesn't want to see you, why bother looking for him?
We are close friends, why bother with these polite formalities?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistake it for a standard way to ask 'why', but it specifically implies that the action is unnecessary or futile. It is not a direct substitute for 點解.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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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.
