mau6 jin4貿然贸然
Jyutpingmau6 jin4
Yalemauh yìhn
Definition
Rashly, hastily, or without careful thought.
colloquialdaily actions
How it's used
Often used in the reduplicated form 貿貿然 to add emphasis to the impulsive nature of an action. It carries a sense of warning or disapproval, suggesting that the subject has not thought through the consequences of their decision. It is frequently paired with verbs involving decision making or sudden changes in status.
Examples
Don't just rashly agree to him.
He resigned rashly and regretted it afterwards.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 突然, which simply means suddenly. While 突然 describes an event happening unexpectedly, 貿然 specifically describes a person acting without sufficient consideration or preparation.
Grammar color guide
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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.
