siu1 fai3消費消费
Jyutpingsiu1 fai3
Yalesīu fai
Definition
To spend money on goods or services; consumption or expenditure.
neutralmoneyshopping
How it's used
While often used in formal reports or news to discuss economic trends, it is also frequently used in daily life when talking about shopping habits or personal expenses. It carries a slightly more analytical tone than simply saying 買嘢, as it focuses on the act of spending money rather than the items themselves. It is common to hear it paired with adjectives like 高 or 低 to describe the level of activity in a market.
Examples
The economy is bad lately, so everyone has reduced their spending.
How much money did you spend at this shop today?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 買嘢. While 買嘢 is a simple verb phrase meaning to buy things, 消費 is a more abstract noun or verb that encompasses the entire process of spending money on goods or services, making it less suitable for casual, specific shopping scenarios.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
