sei2 zik6死直
Jyutpingsei2 zik6
Yaleséi jihk
Definition
Beyond saving; a metaphor for a situation that is so grave it cannot be remedied.
colloquialdescriptions
How it's used
Describes a situation that has reached a point of no return, often implying a sense of finality or hopelessness. It is frequently used when discussing projects, relationships, or plans that have failed so completely that no amount of effort can fix them. The imagery of being dead and straight suggests a rigid, lifeless state that lacks any possibility of flexibility or recovery.
Examples
This business deal has turned out like this, it is truly unsalvageable.
If you don't go fix it, is the matter really beyond saving?
Related words
Common phrases
the matter is unsalvageable
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe a person who has physically passed away, as it is strictly reserved for abstract situations, plans, or inanimate matters.
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.
