jiu4 syu3饒恕饶恕
Jyutpingjiu4 syu3
Yaleyìuh syu
Definition
To forgive, pardon, or let someone off the hook.
neutralemotionother
How it's used
Carries a formal or slightly dramatic weight compared to the everyday term 原諒. It is frequently encountered in religious contexts or when someone is pleading for mercy after a serious transgression. Using it in casual conversation can make the speaker sound overly earnest or like they are quoting a movie script.
Examples
Please forgive me this time, I really won't dare to do it again.
Related words
Common phrases
beg for forgiveness
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a general word for saying sorry, but it specifically implies the act of granting mercy or pardoning a debt or sin. It is not used for minor social faux pas like bumping into someone on the street.
Grammar color guide
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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.
