siu3 nin4少年
Jyutpingsiu3 nin4
Yalesiu nìhn
Definition
A youth, teenager, or juvenile; sometimes referring specifically to a young male.
neutralpeople
How it's used
Refers specifically to the stage of life between childhood and adulthood, often carrying a slightly formal or literary tone compared to the everyday term 後生仔. While it can apply to any gender, it is frequently used in legal or news contexts, such as 少年犯 to describe juvenile offenders. In casual conversation, people usually prefer using 後生仔 or 𡃁仔 to describe young people.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
He was a very rebellious teenager when he was young.
Those few teenagers are playing football in the park.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not use this word to describe young adults in their twenties, as it specifically targets the teenage years. Using it for older individuals can sound overly formal or even condescending.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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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.
