man4紋纹
Jyutpingman4
Yalemàhn
Definition
To tattoo; to puncture the skin with pigment to create a permanent design or text.
colloquialbodydaily actions
How it's used
紋 is primarily used in the context of body art, often appearing as part of the compound 紋身. While it can technically refer to any kind of marking or pattern, using it on its own as a verb almost exclusively implies the act of tattooing. It carries a slightly edgy or rebellious connotation in older generations, though it is now widely accepted as a form of personal expression.
Examples
Where are you planning to get a tattoo?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse 紋 with 畫, but 畫 implies drawing with ink or paint on the surface of the skin that can be washed off, whereas 紋 implies the permanent process of injecting pigment into the dermis.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
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Particle
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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.
