seng1 saa1聲沙声沙
Jyutpingseng1 saa1
Yalesēng sā
Definition
Hoarse; having a raspy, low, or husky voice.
colloquialhealthbody
How it's used
Describes a physical condition where the throat feels dry or irritated, often resulting in a raspy or gravelly tone. It is frequently used to explain the aftermath of prolonged talking, shouting, or singing. Unlike more formal terms for vocal impairment, this captures the casual, everyday experience of losing one's voice.
Examples
Do you have a cold? You sound quite hoarse.
He shouted until his voice was completely hoarse last night.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 喉嚨痛, which specifically refers to a sore throat. While a sore throat often leads to 聲沙, the two conditions are distinct in their focus on pain versus vocal quality.
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.
