si1 liu5私了
Jyutpingsi1 liu5
Yalesī líuh
Definition
To settle a dispute privately without going through official or legal procedures.
colloquialother
How it's used
Originally a legal term for settling disputes out of court, this phrase gained significant notoriety during the 2019 protests in Hong Kong. In that specific political context, it took on a violent connotation referring to vigilante justice or physical retaliation against individuals. Outside of that specific period, it retains its original meaning of resolving a disagreement privately to avoid official channels or legal consequences.
Examples
This matter is so troublesome, why don't we just settle it privately?
Are you guys planning to settle this privately?
Related words
Common phrases
just settle it privately and be done with it
Common mistake
Be cautious using this term in casual conversation, as the political baggage from recent years can make it sound aggressive or imply physical confrontation rather than a simple legal settlement.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
