sau4 wan4愁雲愁云

Jyutpingsau4 wan4

Yalesàuh wàhn

Definition

Gloomy clouds, representing a sad, distressed, or miserable mood or atmosphere.

colloquialemotiondescriptions

How it's used

愁雲 is almost exclusively used in the four character idiom 愁雲慘霧 to describe a heavy, oppressive atmosphere of sadness or anxiety. It functions as a literary or descriptive term rather than a casual way to say someone is sad. Using it outside of this set phrase can sound overly dramatic or poetic in daily speech.

Examples

keoi5佢seng4成jat6日sau4愁wan4雲mun5滿min6面，m4唔zi1知faat3發sang1生me1咩si6事。

He always looks gloomy; I wonder what happened.

gin3見dou2到nei5你sau4愁wan4雲caam2慘mou6霧，bat1不jyu4如heoi3去sik6食caan1餐hou2好ge3嘅？

Seeing you so miserable, why not go have a good meal?

Common phrases

sau4愁wan4雲caam2慘mou6霧

a scene of gloom and misery

sau4愁wan4雲mun5滿min6面

a face full of gloom

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for a common adjective like 唔開心, but it is a noun phrase describing a state or atmosphere. Do not use it to describe a simple bad mood, as it implies a pervasive, heavy gloom that affects an entire environment or situation.