si1私

Jyutpingsi1

Yalesī

語素Common

Definition

Private, personal, or relating to oneself or one's own group.

colloquialpeopleother

How it's used

Functions primarily as a prefix or bound morpheme in Cantonese rather than a standalone adjective. It carries a sense of exclusivity or secrecy, often contrasting with public or shared interests. When used in compound words, it frequently implies something kept away from the eyes of others.

Examples

ni1呢di1啲hai6係ngo5我si1私si6事，m4唔hou2好man6問gam3咁do1多。

These are my private matters, don't ask so much.

nei5你hai6係mai6咪soeng2想si1私haa6下tung4同keoi5佢king1傾？

Do you want to talk to him privately?

Common phrases

si1私haa6下

privately

si1私si6事

personal matter

gung1公si1私fan1分ming4明

keep public and private matters separate

Common mistake

Avoid using it as a direct translation for the English adjective private in all contexts. For instance, a private room is usually called 房 or 獨立房, not 私房, as the latter has specific cultural connotations related to cooking or personal savings.