maan4 lik6蠻力蛮力

Jyutpingmaan4 lik6

Yalemàahn lihk

名詞Uncommon

Definition

Brute force; raw physical strength without strategy or skill.

colloquialdescriptionsdaily actions

How it's used

Describes physical effort applied without intelligence or technique, often implying a clumsy or destructive approach. It is frequently used to criticize someone for being stubborn or lacking finesse when solving a problem. While it refers to physical strength, it is almost always used in a negative context to suggest that the person should have used their brain instead.

Examples

nei5你m4唔hou2好zing6淨hai6係sik1識jung6用maan4蠻lik6力，jiu3要nam2諗haa5下gai2計sin1先dak1得㗎。

Don't just rely on brute force, you need to think of a plan first.

keoi5佢seng4成jat6日jung6用maan4蠻lik6力hoi1開mun4門，gaau2搞dou3到go3個so2鎖waai6壞zo2咗。

He always uses brute force to open the door, which ended up breaking the lock.

Related words

synonymsei2 lik6死力séi likh

Common phrases

jung6用maan4蠻lik6力

to use brute force

kaau3靠maan4蠻lik6力

to rely on brute force

Common mistake

Learners often confuse this with general strength like 力氣, but remember that 蠻力 specifically carries a connotation of being unrefined or foolish. Using it to describe someone who is simply strong is incorrect as it implies a lack of skill.