ji4 sam1 saang1 am3 gwai2疑心生暗鬼

Jyutpingji4 sam1 saang1 am3 gwai2

Yaleyìh sām sāang am gwái

Definition

Suspicions create imaginary fear; a paranoid mind plays tricks on itself, leading to unfounded worry or fear.

colloquialemotion

How it's used

This idiom describes the psychological phenomenon where someone creates their own fear out of thin air simply because they are already in a suspicious or anxious state of mind. It is frequently used to reassure someone who is overthinking a situation or misinterpreting harmless events as malicious. The phrase implies that the threat exists only in the person's imagination rather than in reality.

Examples

nei5你m4唔hou2好ji4疑sam1心sang1生am3暗gwai2鬼，gan1根bun2本mou5冇jan4人gan1跟zung1蹤nei5你。

Stop being so paranoid, nobody is actually following you.

keoi5佢seng4成jat6日ji4疑sam1心sang1生am3暗gwai2鬼，gaau2搞dou3到zi6自gei2己hou2好daai6大aat3壓lik6力。

He is always letting his suspicions get the better of him, which causes him a lot of stress.

Common phrases

seng4成jat6日ji4疑sam1心sang1生am3暗gwai2鬼

always being paranoid

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for a literal description of ghosts or supernatural events, but it is strictly metaphorical and refers to internal psychological anxiety rather than external spirits.