zoeng1 saam1 lei5 sei3張三李四张三李四
Jyutpingzoeng1 saam1 lei5 sei3
Yalejēung sāam léih sei
Definition
Any ordinary person; anyone, like Tom, Dick, and Harry; also used as placeholders for unnamed people.
colloquialpeople
How it's used
Refers to generic, anonymous people when their specific identity is irrelevant or meant to be kept private. It functions similarly to the English idiom "Tom, Dick and Harry" but carries a slightly stronger sense of "random person" or "somebody" rather than just a group of people. It is often used in cautionary contexts to emphasize that one should not trust or disclose information to just anyone.
Examples
Don't just tell any Tom, Dick and Harry about these things.
Do you think everyone on the street is just some random nobody?
Related words
Common phrases
not just any random person
Common mistake
Do not use this to refer to a specific person you know but have forgotten the name of; that would be more like 某人. This phrase is strictly for hypothetical or generic individuals.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
