baak3 faa1 cai4 fong3百花齊放百花齐放
Jyutpingbaak3 faa1 cai4 fong3
Yalebaak fā chàih fong
Definition
A hundred flowers blooming; a metaphor for different styles of art or schools of thought flourishing together.
- blooming of many flowers together in great abundance
- figurativeflourishing of different styles of art or schools of thought simultaneously
neutralnaturedescriptions
How it's used
Originally describing a botanical scene, this idiom is now frequently used in political or cultural contexts to describe a situation where diverse ideas or artistic styles are encouraged to develop simultaneously. It carries a positive, vibrant connotation of richness and variety. You will often hear it in formal or semi-formal discussions about creative industries or intellectual movements.
Examples
Spring has arrived, and the garden is in full bloom.
This art exhibition really features a great variety of styles.
Related words
Common phrases
a scene of diverse flourishing
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe a single type of flower or a uniform situation, as the essence of the idiom is the coexistence of many different things. It is not a literal description for a simple garden with only one species of plant.
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.
