zam3 sei2浸死
Jyutpingzam3 sei2
Yalejam séi
Definition
To drown; to die by drowning.
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How it's used
Focuses specifically on the outcome of being submerged in water, rather than the act of swimming or wading. It is often used in a cautionary sense or when describing a near miss in a pool or at the beach. Unlike the more formal 溺斃, this is the standard way to describe the event in casual conversation.
Examples
Be careful, don't drown over there.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 淹死, which is common in Mandarin but sounds unnatural or overly literary in Cantonese. Stick to 浸死 for everyday speech.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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).
