jing1 ming4英明
Jyutpingjing1 ming4
Yaleyīng mìhng
Definition
Wise, brilliant, and showing far-sighted leadership.
neutralpeopledescriptions
How it's used
Often used with a touch of irony or sarcasm when describing someone in power, especially in a workplace or political context. While it literally means wise and brilliant, it is frequently employed to mock a boss or leader whose decisions are actually questionable or unpopular. Using it sincerely requires a formal tone, as it sounds quite grand and elevated in everyday speech.
Examples
He is truly wise, thinking of a solution so quickly.
Do you think his decision is very wise?
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe friends or family in casual settings, as it sounds overly formal and slightly pompous. It is almost exclusively reserved for discussing leadership or high level decision making.
Grammar color guide
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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).
