seoi1綏绥

Jyutpingseoi1

Yalesēui

Definition

To pacify or appease; also refers to a carriage harness.

literaryto pacify; to appease
archaica carriage harness used to steady oneself when boarding

writtenother

How it's used

Literary and formal, this term is almost exclusively found in political or historical contexts regarding the pacification of unrest or appeasement policies. It is not used in everyday spoken Cantonese, and using it in casual conversation would sound highly unnatural or overly academic.

Examples

zing3政fu2府jiu3要ceot1出ziu1招seoi1綏zing6靖se5社wui2會bat1不on1安。

The government needs to take measures to pacify social unrest.

keoi5佢dei6哋jung6用zeon6盡fong1方faat3法heoi3去seoi1綏zing6靖man4民ji3意。

They are using every method to appease public opinion.

Common phrases

seoi1綏zing6靖zing3政caak3策

appeasement policy

Common mistake

Learners often confuse this with common verbs like 氹 or 安撫, which are appropriate for personal or emotional situations. Using 綏 in a personal context, such as trying to calm a crying child, would be completely incorrect.