<p>Broadly speaking, 事情 tends to be neutral; 事件 for nasty things (rather like "incident" in English).</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-06-13T08:30:12.720Z
2019-06-13T08:30:12.720Z
Lillian Chia
<p>The definitions of these two terms are quite different, clearly not interchangeable.</p>
<p>There is no difference between Cantonese and Mandarin for these terms</p>
<blockquote>
<p>事件: event; occasion; happening</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Example:</p>
<p>偷車<strong>事件</strong> (car stealing <strong>occasion</strong> )</p>
<p>天安門<strong>事件</strong> (Tiananmen Square <strong>event/ incident</strong>)</p>
<p>密室殺人<strong>事件</strong> (the <strong>occasion/ happening</strong> of murder in a locked room )</p>
<blockquote>
<p>事情: matter; affair; thing; business</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Example:</p>
<p>事情就是這樣 (the  <strong>matters/ things</strong> are like this)</p>
<p>沒你的事情 (there are no <strong>business</strong> of yours)</p>
<p>這<strong>事情</strong>我管不了 (I can't deal with this <strong>affair</strong>)</p>
<blockquote>
<p>事件 is something already completed</p>
<p>事情 can be something already happened or something that's on going.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Example:</p>
<p><strong>事情</strong>到了這個地步 (<strong>things</strong> have got to this point)</p>
<p>我也不知<strong>事情</strong>再發展下去會什樣 (I don't know what will happen as the <strong>matter</strong> continue to develope)</p>
<p>You cannot say <strong>事件</strong>到了這個地步 or <strong>事件</strong>再發展下去, because a 事件 is something that had been completed.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-06-07T08:12:53.720Z
another awesome response. thanks! it sounds like the key is whether an event has completed or not.
Crashalot
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-06-07T03:33:04.010Z
2019-06-07T03:42:45.773Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Tang Ho
<p>What's the difference between 事情 and 事件? They both seem to be generic terms that refer to "event, thing, affair".</p>

<p>事件：<a href="http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/4421/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/4421/</a></p>

<p>事情：<a href="http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/4090/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/4090/</a></p>

<p>1) Are they interchangeable?</p>

<p>2) Is there a difference between Cantonese and Mandarin?</p>

<grammar><cantonese>
Difference between 事情 and 事件？
# Difference between 事情 and 事件？

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-06-06)

What's the difference between 事情 and 事件? They both seem to be generic terms that refer to "event, thing, affair".

事件：<http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/4421/>

事情：<http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/4090/>

1) Are they interchangeable?

2) Is there a difference between Cantonese and Mandarin?

**Tags:** grammar, cantonese

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2019-06-07. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

The definitions of these two terms are quite different, clearly not interchangeable.

There is no difference between Cantonese and Mandarin for these terms

> 事件: event; occasion; happening

Example:

偷車**事件** (car stealing **occasion** )

天安門**事件** (Tiananmen Square **event/ incident**)

密室殺人**事件** (the **occasion/ happening** of murder in a locked room )

> 事情: matter; affair; thing; business

Example:

事情就是這樣 (the **matters/ things** are like this)

沒你的事情 (there are no **business** of yours)

這**事情**我管不了 (I can't deal with this **affair**)

> 事件 is something already completed
>
> 事情 can be something already happened or something that's on going.

Example:

**事情**到了這個地步 (**things** have got to this point)

我也不知**事情**再發展下去會什樣 (I don't know what will happen as the **matter** continue to develope)

You cannot say **事件**到了這個地步 or **事件**再發展下去, because a 事件 is something that had been completed.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: another awesome response. thanks! it sounds like the key is whether an event has completed or not.  

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### Answer by username_1 on 2019-06-13. Score: 0

Broadly speaking, 事情 tends to be neutral; 事件 for nasty things (rather like "incident" in English).


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