jau4 sai3 dou3 daai6由細到大由细到大

Jyutpingjau4 sai3 dou3 daai6

Yaleyàuh sai dou daaih

副詞

Definition

Since childhood; all the way from youth to adulthood.

colloquialtimepeople

How it's used

This phrase describes a continuous state or habit that has persisted from childhood into the present. It often carries a sense of nostalgia or emphasizes that a particular trait or preference is deeply ingrained in a person's identity. It is almost always paired with the adverb 都 to highlight that the situation has remained unchanged throughout the years.

Examples

keoi5佢jau4由sai3細dou3到daai6大dou1都zyu6住喺hai2呢le1區。

He has lived in this district since he was a child.

nei5你hai6係mai6咪jau4由sai3細dou3到daai6大dou1都gam3咁zung1鍾ji3意sik6食tong2糖？

Have you liked eating candy this much since you were a kid?

Common phrases

jau4由sai3細dou3到daai6大dou1都hai6係gam3咁

has always been like this since childhood

jau4由sai3細dou3到daai6大dou1都zung1鍾ji3意

have liked it since childhood

Common mistake

Learners sometimes mistakenly use this to describe a specific event that happened in the past, but it is strictly for ongoing states or repeated habits. It cannot be used to describe a one-time action that occurred during childhood.