seoi1須须

Jyutpingseoi1

Yalesēui

語素Uncommon

Definition

Must; have to; to be required to do something.

writtendaily actions

How it's used

Functions primarily as a formal or written term, often appearing in official documents or professional settings. In casual spoken Cantonese, people almost exclusively use 要 or 必須 instead. It carries a sense of necessity or requirement that feels more objective or heavy than the common 要.

Examples

zou6做nei4呢joeng6樣je5嘢seoi1須jiu3要hou2好do1多noi6耐sing3性。

Doing this requires a lot of patience.

nei5你seoi1須m4唔seoi1須jiu3要ngo5我bong1幫sau2手aa4呀？

Do you need me to help?

Common phrases

seoi1須jiu3要

to need

mou6務seoi1須

must necessarily

Common mistake

Learners often mistakenly use it in casual conversation where it sounds overly stiff or unnatural. Stick to 要 for daily speech to avoid sounding like you are reading a formal announcement.