san1 san1 hok6 zi2莘莘學子莘莘学子

Jyutpingsan1 san1 hok6 zi2

Yalesān sān hohk jí

名詞

Definition

A large number of students; a vast crowd of students.

writtenschoolpeople

How it's used

This is a formal, literary idiom used to describe a large number of students. It is almost exclusively found in written contexts like news reports, school newsletters, or formal speeches, and sounds very unnatural if used in casual daily conversation. Using it in spoken Cantonese often carries a slightly ironic or overly dramatic tone.

Examples

san1莘san1莘hok6學zi2子wai6為zo2咗haau2考si5試，zan1真hai6係hou2好nou5努lik6力aa4呀。

Students are working really hard for their exams.

nei5你gin3見dou2到go2嗰baan1班san1莘san1莘hok6學zi2子，hai6係mai6咪gok3覺dak1得hou2好cing1青ceon1春le1呢？

Do you feel a sense of youthfulness when you see that group of students?

Common phrases

san1莘san1莘hok6學zi2子nou5努lik6力

students working hard

san1莘san1莘hok6學zi2子fan5奮dau3鬥

students struggling or striving

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for a standard noun that can be used in any context. Because it is a literary idiom, it is not a direct substitute for 學生 in everyday speech, and using it to refer to a small group of friends or classmates will sound bizarrely formal.