sam1 fui1 ji3 laang5心灰意冷
Jyutpingsam1 fui1 ji3 laang5
Yalesām fūi yi láahng
Definition
Downhearted and discouraged; losing confidence and hope after experiencing setbacks or disappointment.
neutralemotiondescriptions
How it's used
Carries a sense of deep, lingering disappointment that goes beyond simple sadness. It often implies that someone has lost their motivation or drive to continue pursuing a goal because they feel the situation is hopeless. This idiom is frequently used to describe a state of mind after repeated failures or a major setback.
Examples
He hasn't been promoted after working for so long, he really feels discouraged.
Related words
Common phrases
to feel downhearted
to be discouraging
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe momentary frustration or minor annoyance. It is a strong expression reserved for situations where someone has genuinely lost their spirit or hope.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- 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.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
