so1 jyun5疏遠疏远
Jyutpingso1 jyun5
Yalesō yúhn
Definition
To drift apart, become estranged, or grow distant in a relationship.
neutralpeopleemotion
How it's used
Focuses on the gradual cooling of a relationship rather than a sudden break or fight. It implies a lack of effort to maintain contact, leading to a natural fading of intimacy over time. While it can describe romantic partners, it is equally common for describing friends who simply stop hanging out.
Examples
The two of them seem to have drifted apart a lot lately.
Why did you two drift apart?
Related words
Common phrases
a distant relationship
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 絕交, which implies a deliberate, often angry, decision to cut off a relationship completely. 疏遠 is passive and usually happens without a specific confrontation.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
