ging1 ci4矜持
Jyutpingging1 ci4
Yalegīng chìh
Definition
Reservedness, restraint, or composure, typically of women, in keeping with one's status.
colloquialpeopleemotion
How it's used
Reservedness here implies a deliberate maintenance of dignity or social distance, often tied to traditional expectations of femininity. It is not merely being shy or quiet, but rather a conscious choice to hold back one's emotions or reactions to maintain a certain image. While it can be used to describe men, it is overwhelmingly applied to women in social or romantic contexts.
Examples
She is usually very reserved and won't joke around with people easily.
Why do girls have to be so reserved when dating?
Related words
Common phrases
to maintain one's reservedness
to be overly reserved
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 內向, which refers to an introverted personality. 矜持 is a behavioral choice or a social performance, whereas 內向 is a trait.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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Classifier
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Connector
Grammar guides
- 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.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
