sei3 hoi2四海
Jyutpingsei3 hoi2
Yalesei hói
Definition
The whole world; all corners of the Earth; different places around the world.
neutralplacestravel
How it's used
This term carries a literary and slightly poetic tone, often evoking a sense of vastness or freedom. It is rarely used in casual conversation to describe a specific destination, but rather functions as a grand way to refer to the entire world or distant lands. You will most frequently encounter it in set phrases describing travel or the state of the world.
Examples
He has been living a nomadic life for years, traveling to many places.
Do you want to travel the world and see what it's like?
Related words
Common phrases
to make one's home wherever one is
peace throughout the world
Common mistake
Avoid using this as a literal translation for the ocean or sea, as it is an idiomatic expression for the world rather than a geographical term for bodies of water.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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Classifier
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Grammar guides
- 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.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
