sing4 jan4成人
Jyutpingsing4 jan4
Yalesìhng yàhn
Definition
An adult or grown-up.
neutralpeople
How it's used
Refers specifically to legal or social maturity rather than just physical age. While it functions as a noun, it is frequently used as an adjective to describe items or services restricted to those over the age of majority. It carries a slightly formal tone compared to simply saying someone is grown up.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
You are an adult now, stop throwing tantrums all the time.
This is an adult movie; children are not allowed to watch it.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the adverb 成日, which means all the time or always. Using 成人 in a sentence like 我成人去街 will be misunderstood as I am an adult who goes out, rather than the intended meaning of I go out all the time.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
