jan4 meng6人命
Jyutpingjan4 meng6
Yaleyàhn mehng
Definition
Human life.
colloquialpeopleother
How it's used
Often appears in the set phrase 搞出人命, which literally means to cause a human life to come into existence. While it can refer to death in serious contexts, it is frequently used as a euphemism for an unplanned pregnancy. The tone shifts dramatically depending on whether the speaker is discussing a fatal accident or a social situation.
Measure word
tiu4條tìuhExamples
Driving requires extreme caution, don't cause any loss of life.
They don't even care about human lives for the sake of money.
Related words
Common phrases
to cause a death or an unplanned pregnancy
a matter of life and death
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a purely medical or legal term, but it is very common in casual warnings about dangerous behavior or even gossip about pregnancy.
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.
