jam1 si1陰私阴私
Jyutpingjam1 si1
Yaleyām sī
Definition
Privacy, secrets, or embarrassing personal matters.
colloquialpeoplecommunication
How it's used
Focuses specifically on the negative or sensitive nature of private information that someone might want to keep hidden. It often carries a connotation of gossip or prying into things that are not meant for public knowledge. Use 私隱 when referring to the general concept of data privacy or personal rights, as 陰私 implies a more secretive or potentially scandalous quality.
Examples
Stop constantly exposing other people's private matters.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using 陰私 in professional or legal contexts regarding data protection, as it sounds too informal and implies a sense of gossip or hidden dirt rather than a formal right to privacy.
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.
