sing2 seoi2醒水
Jyutpingsing2 seoi2
Yalesíng séui
Definition
Smart, alert, and cautious; quick to adapt and react to a situation.
colloquialpeopledescriptions
How it's used
Implies a high degree of situational awareness and the ability to adapt quickly to changing circumstances. It is often used to advise someone to stay on their toes or to praise someone for their street smarts. Unlike simply being intelligent, this word emphasizes the practical, reactive aspect of intelligence in social or professional settings.
Examples
Be alert, the boss is watching from behind.
He is usually very sharp, how could he make such a low-level mistake?
Related words
Common phrases
be sharper
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with being smart in an academic sense. It specifically refers to being socially or situationally savvy, so it is inappropriate to use when describing someone who is good at studying or book learning.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
