si6 cing4事情
Jyutpingsi6 cing4
Yalesih chìhng
Definition
Matter, affair, or event; the actual situation of something.
neutralother
How it's used
Native speakers almost always prefer using 事 or 件事 instead of the two character 事情 in spoken Cantonese. Using 事情 can sound slightly formal or like a direct translation from written Chinese. When referring to a specific event or task, adding the classifier 件 makes it sound much more natural.
Measure word
gin2件gínRelated words
Common phrases
to handle a matter
Common mistake
Avoid using 事情 in casual conversation as it sounds stiff and overly literary. Learners often overuse it because it is the standard term in Mandarin, but in Cantonese, it is rarely heard outside of formal writing or news reports.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
