soeng5 sam1上心
Jyutpingsoeng5 sam1
Yaleséuhng sām
Definition
To take something to heart, care deeply about, or treat seriously.
colloquialemotionpeople
How it's used
Focuses on the emotional investment or mental effort one puts into a matter, often implying that the person is being perhaps too sensitive or overly diligent. It frequently appears in negative constructions when advising someone not to overthink or overreact to trivial comments. Unlike simply being careful, it carries a sense of personal attachment or vulnerability to the outcome.
Examples
You are so serious about your work, your boss will definitely appreciate you.
He is just joking, why are you taking it so seriously?
Related words
Common phrases
don't take it too seriously
to be diligent in one's work
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 留心, which means to pay attention or be careful. While 留心 is about focus and observation, 上心 is about emotional weight and taking things to heart.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
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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).
