sat1 saan3失散
Jyutpingsat1 saan3
Yalesāt saan
Definition
To be separated from family or friends and lose contact with them for a long time.
neutralpeoplefamily
How it's used
Focuses specifically on the permanent or long term loss of contact between people who share a close bond. It carries a sense of tragedy or dramatic narrative, often appearing in stories about war, natural disasters, or childhood separation. Unlike simply losing someone in a crowd, this implies a long, often indefinite, period of being unable to find the other person.
Examples
They were separated when they were young because they moved house.
Are you two brothers who were separated when you were young?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not use this for losing an object or briefly losing sight of someone in a shopping mall. For losing track of someone in a crowd, use 走失 instead.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
