事主

The Person Involved (News)

Level 6Sounds Like si6 zyu2

事主 (si6 zyu2) is the standard term used in Hong Kong news and police reports to refer to the primary person affected by an incident, such as a crime victim or accident casualty.

How It Works

In the context of news register, 事主 (si6 zyu2) is the default way to identify the protagonist of a report without using emotive language like 'victim' (受害者 sau6 hoi6 ze2).

Key characteristics include:

  • Gender Prefixing: It is common practice to prefix the term with gender: 男事主 (naam4 si6 zyu2) or 女事主 (neoi5 si6 zyu2).
  • Formal Register: It is used by the police and media. Using it in casual conversation sounds like you are reading a police statement.
  • Passive Role: Although 'zyu2' means owner/host, in this context, the person is usually the one who had something happen to them (e.g., robbed, injured, or scammed).
  • Identity Protection: In sensitive cases or court reporting, media often use 事主X (si6 zyu2 X) as a placeholder to protect the individual's privacy.
  • Legal Transition: While the media uses 事主, once a case reaches court, the legal term often shifts to 控方證人 (hung3 fong1 zing3 jan4 - prosecution witness).
  • Specific vs. General: Unlike the broader term 當事人 (dong1 si6 jan4 - person involved), 事主 specifically denotes the victim or central figure of the reported incident.

Examples (4)

  1. 女事主被搶去一部手提電話，隨後報警求助。

    The female involved had a mobile phone snatched and subsequently called the police for help.

    Word by Word: Female matter-owner by snatch-away one [classifier] mobile phone, subsequently report police seek help.

    This demonstrates the standard news format using the gender prefix '女' (neoi5) and the passive marker '被' (bei6).

  2. 事主受輕傷，由救護車送院治理。

    The person involved sustained minor injuries and was taken to the hospital by ambulance for treatment.

    Word by Word: Matter-owner receive light injury, by ambulance send hospital treat-manage.

    Here, '事主' is used as the subject of the sentence in a medical/accident reporting context.

  3. 警方正調查男事主墮樓的原因。

    Police are investigating the reason why the male involved fell from the building.

    Word by Word: Police-side [progressive] investigate male matter-owner fall building possessive reason.

    This shows '男事主' (naam4 si6 zyu2) used in a formal investigation report.

  4. 事主陳先生表示當時感到非常驚恐。

    The involved party, Mr. Chan, stated that he felt extremely terrified at the time.

    Word by Word: Matter-owner Chan Mr. express that-time feel extremely terrified.

    In formal reports, '事主' can be combined with a surname to identify the individual specifically.

Common Mistakes

  • Using '事主' to mean the 'host' of a party or event.

    我係尋晚嗰個 party 嘅事主。
    我係尋晚嗰個 party 嘅主人。

    事主 (si6 zyu2) specifically implies an 'incident' (事 si6), usually a negative one like a crime or accident. For a host, use 主人 (zyu2 jan4).

  • Using '事主' in casual, everyday conversation with friends.

    個事主頭先同我講佢唔舒服。
    嗰個人頭先同我講佢唔舒服。

    Using '事主' in daily life makes you sound like a police officer or a news anchor. Use '嗰個人' (go2 go3 jan4) or the person's name instead.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

事主Level 6The Person Involved (News)

Learn This First

The term '事主' (si6 zyu2) is a formal noun used in Cantonese news reporting to refer to the 'person involved' or the 'victim' of an incident. To understand its usage, learners should be familiar with the formal written register of Cantonese and how news reports use specific shorthand to refer to individuals without repeating their names.

Words in This Pattern

事主