sang1 ling4 tou4 taan3生靈塗炭生灵涂炭

Jyutpingsang1 ling4 tou4 taan3

Yalesāng lìhng tòuh taan

語句

Definition

To cause great suffering and loss of life to many people.

writtenother

How it's used

Reserved for describing catastrophic events like wars, major natural disasters, or severe epidemics that cause widespread loss of life. It carries a heavy, formal, and dramatic tone that is rarely used in casual small talk. Because it is a four character idiom, it is often treated as a fixed expression that functions as an adjective or a verb phrase.

Examples

zin3戰zang1爭gaau2搞dou3到sang1生ling4靈tou4塗taan3炭，baak3百sing3姓hou2好caam2慘。

War has caused immense suffering and death, the common people are miserable.

le1呢coeng4場zoi1災naan6難ling6令dou3到dong1當dei6地sang1生ling4靈tou4塗taan3炭aa4呀。

This disaster has caused mass death and destruction in the area.

Common phrases

dou6導zi3致sang1生ling4靈tou4塗taan3炭

to lead to mass death and suffering

Common mistake

Avoid using this to describe personal misfortunes or minor inconveniences, as it sounds overly melodramatic and inappropriate for anything less than a large scale tragedy.