siu1 tiu4蕭條萧条
Jyutpingsiu1 tiu4
Yalesīu tìuh
Definition
Desolate, quiet, or economically depressed.
- stagnant; depressed; in recession
- desolate; bleak; lonely and quiet
neutralworkmoney
How it's used
While often used to describe macro-level economic downturns, it is frequently applied to local, small-scale situations like a quiet street or a struggling business. It carries a sense of emptiness and lack of activity rather than just a lack of money. It is a more formal term than 靜, which is the standard colloquial way to describe a place or market with few people.
Examples
Business is really slow lately, no customers are walking in.
The market is so stagnant, are you still thinking of opening a shop?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 寂寞, which describes the feeling of loneliness in a person. 蕭條 is strictly for describing the state of a place, market, or economy.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
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Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
