maa5 bou6馬步马步
Jyutpingmaa5 bou6
Yalemáh bouh
Definition
Horse stance; a basic martial arts squatting posture resembling riding a horse.
colloquialsportsbody
How it's used
Refers primarily to the foundational stance in martial arts, but it is also used metaphorically to describe a person's stability or readiness to face a challenge. When someone says you need to improve your horse stance, they are often suggesting you lack a solid foundation or are not prepared for the pressure ahead.
Examples
How long have you been holding your horse stance?
You must start practicing martial arts from the horse stance.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse the noun 馬步 with the verb phrase 紮馬. While they are related, 紮馬 is the action of performing the stance, whereas 馬步 is the stance itself.
Grammar color guide
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Verb
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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).
