bok3 daai6 zing1 sam1博大精深
Jyutpingbok3 daai6 zing1 sam1
Yalebok daaih jīng sām
Definition
Wide-ranging and profound, describing a field of study with extensive knowledge and deep insight.
neutralotherdescriptions
How it's used
This idiom is primarily reserved for formal or academic contexts, often used to praise the depth of traditional arts, philosophies, or complex systems. While it can be applied to everyday topics like food or language, doing so often carries a slightly playful or exaggerated tone to emphasize how surprisingly complex the subject actually is. It functions as a high-level compliment for someone's expertise or the richness of a cultural practice.
Examples
Traditional Chinese medicine is vast and profound; you cannot master it in just a few years.
Do you think Cantonese is a vast and profound subject?
Related words
Common phrases
the culture is vast and profound
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly use this to describe a person who is smart or knowledgeable, but it should only be used to describe the subject matter or field of study itself, not the individual.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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Classifier
Particle
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Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
