bou6暴
Jyutpingbou6
Yalebouh
Definition
Violent, cruel, and brutal.
colloquialdescriptions
How it's used
While 暴 appears in many compound words like 暴力 or 暴躁, using it as a standalone adjective to describe a person's temperament is quite specific and carries a strong sense of aggression or lack of restraint. It is less common in casual speech than 惡, which is the default way to describe someone who is mean or fierce. When you use 暴, you are emphasizing a sudden, explosive, or cruel quality rather than just a bad attitude.
Examples
He is very violent and loses his temper all the time.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse 暴 with 惡. 惡 is a general term for being mean, strict, or fierce, whereas 暴 implies a more dangerous, violent, or destructive nature.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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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.
