ling4 sing1零星
Jyutpingling4 sing1
Yalelìhng sīng
Definition
Sporadic, scattered, or occurring in small amounts and at irregular intervals.
neutraldescriptions
How it's used
Describes things that are sparse, isolated, or occurring at irregular intervals rather than in a concentrated group. It is often used to downplay the intensity of an event, such as rain or protests, by emphasizing that they are not widespread or continuous. The term carries a slightly formal or descriptive tone, making it common in news reports or when providing a summary of a situation.
Examples
It has only rained sporadically a few times lately.
There are still a few scattered people walking on the street.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe something that is just small in size, as it specifically refers to the distribution or frequency of occurrences. It is not a synonym for 少, which simply means few or little in quantity.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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).
