jam1 sam1陰森阴森
Jyutpingjam1 sam1
Yaleyām sām
Definition
Gloomy, dark, eerie, or gruesome, causing a feeling of dread.
colloquialdescriptions
How it's used
Focus on the chilling, supernatural atmosphere rather than just poor lighting. It often describes places that feel haunted or suggest that something bad might happen. When you want to emphasize this feeling, you can reduplicate the word as 陰森森 to make the description more vivid and intense.
Examples
This alley is so gloomy, I get scared walking through it at night.
The inside of the house is eerie, are you really brave enough to go in?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe a room that is simply dim or poorly lit for practical reasons. Use 陰暗 for a neutral description of low light, whereas 陰森 carries a strong negative, creepy connotation.
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.
