si1 jan4私人

Jyutpingsi1 jan4

Yalesī yàhn

形容詞Common

Definition

Personal, private, or relating to an individual's privacy.

colloquialpeopledescriptions

How it's used

Distinguish between private space and professional boundaries by using this term to mark off things that are not for public consumption. It often carries a slightly defensive tone when someone feels their boundaries are being crossed. When referring to personal belongings, people frequently use 私人嘢 to emphasize that the item belongs to them exclusively.

Examples

ni1呢di1啲hai6係ngo5我si1私jan4人ge2嘅je5嘢，m4唔hou2好man6問gam3咁do1多。

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

nei5你ho2可m4唔ho2可ji5以bei3畀di1啲si1私jan4人hung1空gaan1間ngo5我aa4呀？

Can you give me some personal space?

Common phrases

si1私jan4人hung1空gaan1間

personal space

si1私jan4人si4時gaan3間

personal time

si1私jan4人je5嘢

personal stuff

Common mistake

Avoid using this to mean secret or hidden in a conspiratorial way, as that is better expressed by words like 秘密. It specifically refers to ownership or the right to keep things separate from the public sphere.