jat1 sai3 jan4一世人
Jyutpingjat1 sai3 jan4
Yaleyāt sai yàhn
Definition
A person's entire life; for a lifetime.
colloquialtimepeople
How it's used
Emphasizes the duration of an entire human lifespan, often used to express disbelief or to set a long-term expectation. It carries a stronger, more personal weight than just saying 成世. It frequently appears in negative constructions to highlight an extreme lack of experience or a long-standing habit.
Examples
I have never seen anything this funny in my entire life.
Do you plan to stay here and work for your whole life?
Related words
Common phrases
brothers for life
Common mistake
Avoid using it as a direct translation for the English word lifetime in technical or biological contexts, as it specifically refers to the lived experience of a person.
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.
