kau3 jan4 sam1 jin4扣人心弦
Jyutpingkau3 jan4 sam1 jin4
Yalekau yàhn sām yìhn
Definition
Deeply touching, exciting, or breath-taking; extremely moving.
writtendescriptionsemotion
How it's used
This idiom is primarily used in formal or literary contexts to describe artistic works like films, novels, or musical performances. While it is perfectly understandable in speech, using it in casual daily conversation can sound slightly overly dramatic or bookish. It is most effective when you want to emphasize that a story or event has deeply captured your attention and emotions.
Examples
The plot of this movie is truly breath-taking.
Have you ever watched such a touching performance?
Related words
Common phrases
the plot is breath-taking
the story is deeply moving
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a literal description of physical stress or heart issues because of the character 扣. It is strictly used for emotional impact and should not be used to describe medical symptoms or physical tightness in the chest.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
