jiu4 seon3堯舜尧舜
Jyutpingjiu4 seon3
Yaleyìuh seun
Definition
Yao and Shun, two legendary rulers and ancestors of Chinese civilization.
neutralpeople
How it's used
Yao and Shun are legendary sage kings from ancient Chinese mythology, often invoked as the gold standard for benevolent and virtuous leadership. In modern Cantonese, referring to someone as a 堯舜 is a way of highlighting their perceived moral integrity or lack thereof, often used with a touch of irony or sarcasm when discussing politics or leadership. It is a literary reference that carries significant cultural weight, implying a level of selfless governance that is rarely seen in reality.
Examples
They want to be like Yao and Shun, but unfortunately nobody believes them.
Related words
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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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.



