jan4 wai4人為人为
Jyutpingjan4 wai4
Yaleyàhn wàih
Definition
Artificial, man-made, or caused by human activity.
neutraldescriptionsother
How it's used
Focuses on the agency behind an event, specifically highlighting that something did not occur naturally or by chance. It is frequently used in formal reports or news to attribute blame or identify the source of a problem. Unlike the Mandarin usage which can sometimes feel more abstract, in Cantonese it is often paired with words like 疏失 or 破壞 to emphasize human intervention.
Examples
This accident was caused by human factors.
Do you think this damage was man-made or an accident?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 人造, which is typically used for physical objects like artificial flowers or synthetic materials. Use 人為 when discussing the cause of an event or a situation, rather than the composition of a product.
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.
