mat1 si6乜事
Jyutpingmat1 si6
Yalemāt sih
Definition
What is the matter, or what happened.
colloquialcommunicationother
How it's used
Used primarily to express confusion or concern when something unexpected or unpleasant occurs. It functions as a direct inquiry into the cause of a situation, often carrying a slightly more urgent or inquisitive tone than simply asking 發生咩事. While it can be used neutrally, it frequently appears in contexts where the speaker is reacting to someone else's strange behavior or a sudden disruption.
Examples
What's the matter with you, why are you crying so miserably?
He suddenly lost his temper, I don't know what happened.
Related words
Common phrases
don't know what happened
Common mistake
Learners often confuse 乜事 with 咩事, but they are essentially interchangeable in most spoken contexts. The main trap is using it in overly formal writing, where it will sound jarringly casual or even rude depending on the audience.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
