sai1 faa3西化
Jyutpingsai1 faa3
Yalesāi fa
Definition
To westernize; to adopt Western cultural, social, or culinary practices.
colloquialpeopledescriptions
How it's used
Often used to describe a shift in cultural values or lifestyle preferences rather than just physical appearance. It carries a neutral to slightly descriptive tone when discussing societal changes in Hong Kong. You will frequently hear it applied to food choices or how people celebrate holidays.
Examples
Their lifestyle habits are very westernised.
Do you think the diet in Hong Kong is very westernised?
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe a person who is simply wearing western style clothing, as it usually implies a deeper change in mindset or cultural practice.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- 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.
