hon5悍
Jyutpinghon5
Yalehóhn
Definition
Strong and resilient, or fierce and ferocious.
- strong and resilient
- fierce; ferocious; cruel
writtendescriptionspeople
How it's used
Used primarily as a bound morpheme in compound words rather than as a standalone adjective in modern speech. It carries a nuance of being tough, resilient, or even aggressive, distinguishing it from general words for brave like 勇敢. You will most frequently encounter it in formal contexts or descriptions of someone's fierce, unyielding character.
Examples
When it comes to fighting, he is truly fierce.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 悍 in the sense of 'ferocious' or 'vicious', as it can carry a negative connotation of being overly aggressive or brutal depending on the context. It is not a common everyday word for simple bravery.
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.
