soeng6 syu1尚書尚书
Jyutpingsoeng6 syu1
Yaleseuhng syū
Definition
Minister; a high-ranking official in ancient China, especially a head of a government department.
colloquialpeople
How it's used
Refers to a high ranking government official in imperial China, but in modern Cantonese, it is frequently used sarcastically to describe someone who acts self important or bossy. It carries a strong historical flavor and is rarely used to describe actual contemporary civil servants. When used in casual conversation, it often implies the person is putting on airs or acting as if they have more authority than they actually do.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
He used to be a high official and had a lot of power.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a modern job title, but using it to refer to a current government official will sound bizarre or archaic. It is almost exclusively used in a metaphorical or historical context today.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
