jin4羨

Jyutpingjin4

Yaleyìhn

Rare

Definition

To envy; to wish to have what others have.

colloquialemotion

How it's used

This character rarely stands alone in modern spoken Cantonese and almost always appears as part of the compound 羨慕. It carries a sense of longing for someone else's possessions or status, but it is generally considered a neutral or positive emotion rather than a malicious one. In casual speech, people might also use 葡萄 to express envy, which stems from the fable of the fox and the sour grapes.

Examples

keoi5佢maai5買zo2咗san1新ce1車，zan1真hai6係hou2好ling3令ngo5我sin6羨mou6慕aa1呀。

He bought a new car, I really envy him so much.

nei5你sai2使mat1乜sin6羨mou6慕jan4人dei6哋jau5有cin2錢，zi6自gei2己nou5努lik6力mai1咪dak1得lo3囉。

Why do you envy others for being rich? Just work hard yourself.

Common phrases

sin6羨mou6慕

to envy

Common mistake

Learners often confuse this with 妒忌, which implies a more negative, resentful, or jealous feeling towards someone. 羨慕 is purely about wanting what someone else has, whereas 妒忌 carries a sense of bitterness or wanting to deprive the other person of their success.