sam1 gwai1深閨深闺
Jyutpingsam1 gwai1
Yalesām gwāi
Definition
Home-loving; used to describe a girl or woman who stays at home and rarely goes out.
colloquialpeoplehome
How it's used
Originally derived from the literary phrase 深閨大院, this term has evolved into a common, slightly playful way to describe someone who rarely leaves their home. It carries a nuance of being reclusive or introverted by choice rather than necessity. While it historically referred specifically to women, it is now frequently used for anyone who prefers staying indoors over socialising.
Examples
She is usually a homebody; she only likes to sleep at home on her days off.
Why are you such a homebody? You don't come out to hang out with us on the weekend?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 宅男 or 宅女, which are modern loanwords from Japanese culture specifically referring to 'otaku' or 'geeks'. 深閨 focuses purely on the act of staying home rather than implying a specific interest in anime, gaming, or technology.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
