sung1 jat1 hau2 hei3鬆一口氣松一口气

Jyutpingsung1 jat1 hau2 hei3

Yalesūng yāt háu hei

Definition

To heave a sigh of relief

colloquialemotion

How it's used

This expression is used to describe the physical and mental release of tension after a period of prolonged anxiety or pressure. It often implies that the person was holding their breath or bracing for a negative outcome, and the relief comes from the situation finally resolving in a positive or neutral way. It is a very common way to express the feeling of a weight being lifted off one's shoulders.

Examples

gin3 dou2 fan2 sing4 zik1 daan1 hap6 gaak3 ngo5 zung1 jyu1 sung1 jat1 hau2 hei3 laa3

見到份成績單合格，我終於鬆一口氣喇。

Seeing that my report card passed, I finally breathed a sigh of relief.

nei5 zou6 jyun4 saai3 di1 gung1 fo3 mei6 aa4 zou6 jyun4 zau6 ho2 ji5 sung1 jat1 hau2 hei3

你做完晒啲功課未呀？做完就可以鬆一口氣。

Have you finished all your homework? You can breathe a sigh of relief once you're done.

Common phrases

zung1 jyu1 sung1 jat1 hau2 hei3

終於鬆一口氣

finally breathe a sigh of relief

Common mistake

Do not use this phrase to describe physical relaxation after exercise or rest, as it specifically refers to emotional relief from worry or stress. For physical relaxation, use 鬆弛 or 休息.