jau1 sam1 cung1 cung1憂心忡忡忧心忡忡

Jyutpingjau1 sam1 cung1 cung1

Yaleyāu sām chūng chūng

形容詞Rare

Definition

Deeply worried; weighed down with anxieties.

writtenemotiondescriptions

How it's used

This is a formal idiom that carries a heavy, serious tone, often used to describe someone visibly troubled or anxious. While it is perfectly acceptable in spoken Cantonese, it sounds more literary or dramatic compared to simple phrases like 好擔心. It is best reserved for situations involving significant stress or grave concerns rather than minor daily inconveniences.

Examples

gin3見keoi5佢jau1憂sam1心cung1忡cung1忡，m4唔zi1知faat3發sang1生me1咩si6事aa4呀？

Seeing them so deeply worried, I wonder what happened?

min6面deoi3對ni1呢go3個naan4難tai4題，keoi5佢seng4成jat6日dou1都jau1憂sam1心cung1忡cung1忡。

Facing this difficult problem, they are always deeply worried.

Common phrases

san4神cing4情jau1憂sam1心cung1忡cung1忡

to have a deeply worried expression

jat1一zik6直jau1憂sam1心cung1忡cung1忡

to remain deeply worried for a long time

Common mistake

Learners often mistakenly use this idiom for minor worries, but it implies a state of deep, lingering anxiety that affects one's overall demeanor. It is an adjective phrase, so it should not be followed by 嘅 when modifying a noun directly without careful consideration of the sentence structure.