siu3少
Jyutpingsiu3
Yalesiu
Definition
To be short of, missing, or lacking from an expected amount.
colloquialdaily actionsnumbers
How it's used
Focuses on the state of having less than the expected total, rather than the act of losing something through carelessness. It is frequently paired with the aspect marker 咗 to indicate that the reduction has already occurred. When used in this sense, it functions as a stative verb describing a deficit.
Examples
There is one hundred dollars missing from my wallet.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 唔見咗, which specifically implies that an item has been misplaced or stolen. Using 少咗 simply highlights that the quantity is lower than it should be, regardless of the reason.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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Grammar guides
- 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.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
