sam1 jau5 jyu4 gwai3心有餘悸心有余悸
Jyutpingsam1 jau5 jyu4 gwai3
Yalesām yáuh yùh gwai
Definition
To still feel frightened or have lingering fear after an incident.
colloquialemotion
How it's used
Describes the lingering psychological effect of a traumatic or frightening event that happened in the past. It is a formal idiom that is frequently used in spoken Cantonese to add a sense of gravity or seriousness to one's emotional state. It implies that the danger has passed, but the memory still triggers a physical or emotional reaction.
Examples
Thinking back to that accident, I still feel a lingering fear.
Related words
Common phrases
still feeling a lingering fear
still feeling scared just thinking about it
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe simple nervousness or stage fright. It specifically requires a past, usually negative or dangerous, experience as the source of the fear.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- NegationHow to say no, not, didn't, and don't in Cantonese. The four main negation words and when to use each one.
- Numbers and moneyCounting, talking about money, and asking how much things cost. Includes the two words for two and the everyday words for dollars and cents.
- 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.
