je5 sam1野心
Jyutpingje5 sam1
Yaleyéh sām
Definition
Ambition; a strong desire to achieve a certain goal, especially a wild or aggressive one.
neutralpeopleemotion
How it's used
Describes a strong, often aggressive desire to achieve power, success, or status. While it can be used neutrally, it frequently carries a slightly negative connotation of being overly competitive or ruthless. It is commonly paired with the idiom 野心勃勃 to describe someone who is visibly full of grand plans.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
He is very ambitious and wants to be a big boss.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the English word wild, as the character 野 here refers to something untamed or unrestrained rather than literal wilderness. It is a noun, so it must be used with verbs like 有 or 充滿.
Grammar color guide
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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.
