soeng1孀
Jyutpingsoeng1
Yalesēung
Definition
Widow; a woman who has lost her husband.
writtenpeoplefamily
How it's used
This character is a bound morpheme that almost never appears alone in modern spoken Cantonese. It is primarily encountered in formal or written contexts within the compound 遺孀, which is a respectful and slightly formal way to refer to a widow. In everyday casual speech, people prefer to use the more direct term 寡婦.
Examples
After her husband passed away, she became a widow.
This widow raised several children all by herself, it was very tough.
Related words
Common phrases
widow (formal)
Common mistake
Avoid using 孀 as a standalone noun in conversation, as it sounds archaic or overly literary. Always use it as part of the established compound 遺孀 when referring to someone who has lost their husband.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
