wo1 sam1窩心窝心
Jyutpingwo1 sam1
Yalewō sām
Definition
Heartwarming and sweet; making someone feel warm and moved.
colloquialemotionpeople
How it's used
Describes a specific feeling of being touched or comforted by someone's thoughtful actions. It is often used to praise small, considerate gestures that show genuine care rather than grand, expensive displays of affection. The term carries a sense of emotional intimacy and personal warmth.
Examples
It is so sweet of you to write this card for me.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the Mandarin meaning of 窩心, which can sometimes imply feeling stifled, frustrated, or holding a grudge. In Cantonese, it is exclusively positive and refers to feeling touched.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
