hou4 fong3豪放
Definition
Bold, unrestrained, and liberal; describing a person, behavior, or style that is open and unconventional.
- bold, unrestrained, and unconstrained by conventions
- figurativeopen-minded, liberal, or bold regarding sex
How it's used
Describes a personality that is free-spirited and unconstrained by social conventions, often implying someone who is outgoing and lacks inhibition. While it can be a positive trait describing someone who is generous or bold in their creative expression, it is frequently used to describe someone who is sexually liberated or behaves in a way that challenges traditional modesty. The term carries a sense of being larger than life, sometimes bordering on being overly casual or reckless depending on the context.
Examples
Related words
Common phrases
Common mistake
Be careful when using this to describe a person, as it can be interpreted as a euphemism for being sexually promiscuous or lacking proper boundaries in social settings. It is not always a compliment.
Grammar color guide
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.
