wan4 siu1雲霄云霄
Jyutpingwan4 siu1
Yalewàhn sīu
Definition
The sky or the heavens.
writtennature
How it's used
Literary and poetic in nature, this term is rarely used in casual conversation to describe the sky. It is almost exclusively encountered in the set phrase 響徹雲霄 to describe sounds that are incredibly loud or far-reaching. Using it to describe the weather or the physical sky in daily life will sound overly dramatic or archaic.
Examples
Their singing really echoes through the sky.
Looking at the sky, my mood feels a bit brighter.
Related words
Common phrases
resounding through the skies
Common mistake
Do not use this to refer to the sky in everyday contexts, as it is not a synonym for 天 or 天空. Learners often mistake it for a common noun, but it functions more like a formal or literary descriptor.
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.
