sap6 sat1 gau2 hung1十室九空

Jyutpingsap6 sat1 gau2 hung1

Yalesahp sāt gáu hūng

形容詞

Definition

Virtually empty, desolate, or abandoned; having almost no one willing to live or do business there.

virtually empty or desolate; having almost no one living or doing business there
literaryruined and depopulated after war or disaster

colloquialplacesdescriptions

How it's used

This idiom carries a heavy, somewhat dramatic tone, often implying a sense of decline or abandonment. While it originated from descriptions of war-torn regions, it is now frequently used in casual conversation to critique failing commercial areas or dying neighborhoods. It emphasizes a stark lack of human activity rather than just a few vacancies.

Examples

go2嗰go3個soeng1商coeng4場sap6十sat1室gau2九hung1空，haang4行jap6入heoi3去hou2好ci5似sei2死sing4城gam3咁。

That shopping mall is almost completely empty, walking in feels like a ghost town.

ni1呢tiu4條gaai1街ji5以cin4前hou2好wong6旺，dim2點gaai2解ji4而gaa1家bin3變dou3到sap6十sat1室gau2九hung1空㗎？

This street used to be so busy, why has it become so deserted now?

Common phrases

bin3變dou3到sap6十sat1室gau2九hung1空

to become deserted

Common mistake

Avoid using this to describe a place that is simply quiet or closed for the night. It specifically implies a long-term, structural lack of occupancy or business, suggesting that the area is failing or dead.