sang1 se4生蛇
Jyutpingsang1 se4
Yalesāng sèh
Definition
To have shingles, a disease caused by the reactivation of the chickenpox virus in the body.
colloquialhealthbody
How it's used
Literally translating to 'growing a snake', this term describes the appearance of the rash which often wraps around the torso like a serpent. It is the standard way to refer to the condition in daily life, as the formal medical term is rarely used outside of a clinic. People often associate the onset of this condition with high levels of stress or a weakened immune system.
Examples
He has been under too much stress lately, which caused him to get shingles.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with actual snake bites or other skin rashes. While it is a common folk belief that the condition is fatal if the 'snake' wraps all the way around the body to meet itself, this is a medical myth.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
