sung2 ting3聳聽耸听
Jyutpingsung2 ting3
Yalesúng ting
Definition
To urge people to listen; to make a statement that is sensational or shocking.
writtencommunicationdescriptions
How it's used
Commonly used in the idiom 聳人聽聞, this term describes speech that is deliberately exaggerated or sensationalized to shock or alarm an audience. Unlike a simple request to listen, it carries a negative connotation of manipulation or fear-mongering. It is rarely used as a standalone verb in casual speech, appearing most often as an adjective describing a person's tone or content.
Examples
He is very alarmist, do not believe everything he says.
Related words
Common phrases
to sensationalize
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a neutral way to say 'urge to listen', but it is almost exclusively used to criticize someone for being overly dramatic or alarmist.
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.
