成

The Whole

Level 3Sounds Like sing4

成 (seng4) is a colloquial intensifier used to stress that something is 'the whole' or 'as much as' a certain amount. It highlights magnitude, duration, or quantity.

How It Works

1. Basic Usage with Classifiers
The most common way to use 成 (seng4) is by placing it before a classifier and a noun. This translates to 'the whole [noun].'
Pattern: 成 + [Classifier] + [Noun]
Example: 成個下晝 (seng4 go3 haa6 zau3) — 'The whole afternoon.'

2. Emphasizing Quantities
When used with numbers, it emphasizes that the amount is surprisingly large, similar to 'as much as' or 'a whopping.' It can also imply 'nearly' or 'almost' when referring to a large threshold.
Pattern: 成 + [Number] + [Classifier]
Example: 成千蚊 (seng4 cin1 man1) — 'A whole thousand dollars.'

3. Time Expressions and Tone
It frequently combines with time nouns to express 'all [time period] long.' Note that phrases like 成日 (seng4 jat6 - 'all day/always') often carry a tone of complaint or annoyance depending on the context.
Example: 佢成日遲到 (keoi5 seng4 jat6 ci4 dou3) — 'He is always late (and it's annoying).'

4. Register and Tone
In this colloquial sense, it is always pronounced seng4 (Tone 4). In formal writing, speakers usually switch to 全部 (cyun4 bou6) or 全 (cyun4). Note that some fixed expressions like 成身 (seng4 san1, 'whole body') or 成地 (seng4 dei6, 'all over the floor') allow you to drop the classifier.

Examples (4)

  1. 佢成日都喺度打機。

    He is gaming all day long.

    Word by Word: He whole day all at here play games.

    成日 (seng4 jat6) literally means 'the whole day,' but in Cantonese, it is the standard way to say 'always' or 'all the time' in a colloquial context.

  2. 尋晚落大雨，整到我成身濕晒。

    It rained hard last night and made my whole body soaking wet.

    Word by Word: Last night fall big rain, make reach me whole body wet completely.

    成身 (seng4 san1) is a common fixed expression where the classifier is omitted to mean 'the whole body.' 晒 (saai3) adds the meaning of 'completely' at the end.

  3. 呢份禮物要成五百蚊㗎！

    This gift costs as much as five hundred dollars!

    Word by Word: This [classifier] gift need whole five hundred dollars [particle]!

    Here, 成 (seng4) emphasizes that 500 dollars is a significant or surprisingly high amount.

  4. 我等咗你成個鐘頭呀。

    I've been waiting for you for a whole hour.

    Word by Word: I wait [aspect] you whole [classifier] hour [particle].

    Using 成 (seng4) before the classifier 個 (go3) emphasizes the length of time, often implying a slight complaint.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 成 (seng4) as a direct adverb before a verb.

    佢成打機。
    佢成日打機。

    成 (seng4) must modify a noun or a time expression. It cannot be used alone as an adverb like 'always' in English; you must use the full phrase 成日 (seng4 jat6).

  • Confusing the position of 成 (seng4) and 晒 (saai3).

    我成食晒個蛋糕。
    我食晒成個蛋糕。

    While both mean 'all/whole,' 成 (seng4) comes before the noun it modifies, while 晒 (saai3) is a verbal suffix that follows the verb. You can use both together for extra emphasis.

How It Connects

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

成Level 3The Whole

Learn This First

To use '成' (seng4) to mean 'the whole' or 'entire', you need to understand how Cantonese noun phrases are structured, specifically how numbers and classifiers work together. '成' acts as a quantifier that replaces or emphasizes the quantity 'one' to stress that the full amount of the following unit is involved.

Words in This Pattern