san1 ban6呻笨
Jyutpingsan1 ban6
Yalesān bahn
Definition
To regret a stupid action and complain about it.
colloquialemotiondaily actions
How it's used
Focuses specifically on the act of vocalizing one's regret over a self-inflicted mistake. It carries a sense of self-reproach mixed with frustration, often used when the speaker realizes they have been naive or short-sighted. It is rarely used for serious life tragedies, but rather for smaller, avoidable errors like bad purchases or falling for a minor trick.
Examples
If I had known, I wouldn't have bought this machine; it's useless to regret it now.
You believed his lies back then, what's the point of regretting your stupidity now?
Related words
Common phrases
it is useless to regret it now
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with general regret or sadness, as it specifically implies that the mistake was avoidable and due to one's own lack of judgment. It is not used to describe someone else's misfortune unless you are criticizing their poor decision-making process.
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.
