sam1 lei5 zok3 jung6心理作用
Jyutpingsam1 lei5 zok3 jung6
Yalesām léih jok yuhng
Definition
Psychological effect; a perception, feeling, or illusion caused by one's own imagination or state of mind.
colloquialemotiondescriptions
How it's used
Often used to dismiss someone's physical sensations or worries as being entirely self-generated rather than based on external reality. It carries a slightly skeptical tone, implying that the person is overthinking or letting their imagination run wild. It is frequently employed to explain away minor ailments or strange feelings that have no clear physical cause.
Examples
You feeling dizzy might just be all in your head.
hai6係mai6咪sam1心lei5理zok3作jung6用aa4呀，dim2點gaai2解ngo5我zung2總hai6係gok3覺dak1得jau5有jan4人mong6望zyu6住ngo5我？
Is it just my imagination, why do I always feel like someone is watching me?
Related words
Common phrases
purely psychological
it's just in your head
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a medical diagnosis, but it is actually a casual, dismissive remark. Using it to describe someone's genuine, serious pain can come across as insensitive or invalidating.
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.
