gwok3 sik1國色国色
Jyutpinggwok3 sik1
Yalegwok sīk
Definition
The color of tree peony, symbolizing outstanding beauty.
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How it's used
Refers almost exclusively to female beauty, often carrying a slightly classical or literary weight despite being used in modern speech. It is rarely used on its own as a simple adjective, appearing most frequently as part of the four character idiom 國色天香. Using it to describe anything other than a person's appearance can sound confusing or overly poetic.
Examples
She has been a great beauty since she was a child.
Related words
Common phrases
stunningly beautiful
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe the actual color of a flower, as it is strictly a metaphorical term for human beauty in contemporary Cantonese.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
