saat3 san1 sing4 jan4殺身成仁杀身成仁
Jyutpingsaat3 san1 sing4 jan4
Yalesaat sān sìhng yàhn
Definition
To sacrifice one's life for a noble cause or for righteousness.
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How it's used
Originally a classical Confucian concept, this phrase is now frequently used with a touch of irony or hyperbole in casual conversation. While it retains its heroic weight, people often apply it to minor inconveniences or trivial sacrifices to emphasize how much they are suffering for a cause. It carries a dramatic flair that makes it stand out from more straightforward descriptions of selflessness.
Examples
He really sacrificed his life to save others.
Do you really have to be so dramatic, talking about sacrificing your life?
Related words
Common phrases
sacrificing one's life for an ideal
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe simple acts of kindness or minor help, as the gravity of the term makes it sound sarcastic or overly theatrical in those contexts.
Grammar color guide
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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.
