man5 seot1憫恤悯恤
Jyutpingman5 seot1
Yalemáhn sēut
Definition
To feel compassion for; to pity.
writtenemotionpeople
How it's used
Carries a slightly formal or literary weight that makes it sound more serious than common expressions like 心噏 or 同情. It is often used in contexts involving moral judgment or social observation rather than casual sympathy between friends. Using it in everyday conversation can sound quite dramatic or old fashioned.
Examples
Seeing how miserable they are, I feel a lot of compassion for them.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 同情, but 憫恤 implies a more condescending or distant sense of pity, often from a position of superiority, whereas 同情 is more neutral and reciprocal.
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.
