suk1 siu2縮小缩小
Jyutpingsuk1 siu2
Yalesūk síu
Definition
To shrink or reduce; to decrease in size, scale, quantity, or scope.
colloquialdescriptionsdaily actions
How it's used
While 縮小 is the standard written term, Cantonese speakers almost exclusively use 縮細 in daily speech. The character 細 is the natural choice for describing physical size or scope, whereas 小 is often reserved for abstract concepts or formal contexts. Using 縮細 makes your speech sound much more authentic and less like a direct translation from written Chinese.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using 縮小 in casual conversation as it sounds overly formal or academic. Stick to 縮細 to sound natural.
Grammar color guide
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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).
