jat1 sang1一生
Jyutpingjat1 sang1
Yaleyāt sāng
Definition
One's whole life; a complete lifespan from birth until death.
neutraltimepeople
How it's used
While 一生 is widely understood, Cantonese speakers often prefer the more colloquial 成世 or 成世人 when talking about their own life experiences or duration. Using 一生 can sound slightly more formal, literary, or dramatic, making it common in written contexts or when discussing someone's legacy or a significant life event.
Examples
He worked hard his whole life.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often use 一生 as a direct translation for life in all contexts, but it specifically refers to the duration of a lifespan. For the concept of life as a biological state or living, use 命 or 生命 instead.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
