joeng4 sei2佯死
Jyutpingjoeng4 sei2
Yaleyèuhng séi
Definition
To play dead; to feign death.
colloquialdaily actionsanimals
How it's used
Although 佯死 is a standard term for feigning death, in casual Hong Kong Cantonese, people often use the more descriptive phrase 扮死 instead. Using 佯死 sounds slightly more literary or dramatic, often appearing in stories or when describing someone acting in a very deliberate, theatrical way. It is rarely used to describe a serious medical situation, as that would require more specific terminology.
Examples
The cat is playing dead to trick me into giving it food.
Why did you suddenly play dead? You scared me to death.
Related words
Common phrases
play dead to deceive someone
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 扮死, which is the much more common way to say play dead in daily life. Using 佯死 in a very casual setting might make you sound like you are reading from a book or a script.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
