zi6 sang1 zi6 mit6自生自滅自生自灭
Jyutpingzi6 sang1 zi6 mit6
Yalejih sāng jih miht
Definition
To fend for oneself without anyone caring or intervening.
colloquialpeopleother
How it's used
Carries a strong sense of neglect or indifference, often implying a cold or harsh attitude toward the subject. It is frequently used when discussing projects, businesses, or people that have been abandoned by those who should be responsible for them. The tone is much more severe than simply saying someone is independent.
Examples
Those kids have no one looking after them, just left to fend for themselves.
If you don't care about this business, do you really want to just let it die out?
Related words
Common phrases
let him fend for himself
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe someone who is simply being independent or self-reliant, as the phrase carries a negative connotation of being forsaken or left without necessary support.
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.
