sin1躚跹
Jyutpingsin1
Yalesīn
Definition
To dance, or to wander about; to hover or twirl around.
- literaryto dance or twirl gracefully
- literaryto wander; to hover; to linger
colloquialdaily actions
How it's used
Focuses on the repetitive, aimless, or restless movement of a person. It often implies a sense of agitation or impatience, similar to pacing when someone is waiting for something. While it can describe a dance-like movement, in modern daily speech, it is almost exclusively used for restless walking or pacing.
Examples
He is pacing back and forth, looking very anxious.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 轉, which refers to spinning or turning. 躚 specifically emphasizes the movement across a space, whereas 轉 focuses on the rotation of the body or an object.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
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Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- 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.
