mong6 man4 sang1 ji6望文生義望文生义

Jyutpingmong6 man4 sang1 ji6

Yalemohng màhn sāng yih

語句

Definition

To interpret a text literally or superficially without understanding the actual, underlying meaning.

neutralcommunicationother

How it's used

This idiom describes the common mistake of guessing the meaning of a phrase based solely on its individual characters. It is frequently used in academic or formal discussions to critique someone for lacking depth or context. While it sounds formal, it is perfectly acceptable to use in everyday speech when correcting someone's misunderstanding.

Examples

nei5你m4唔hou2好mong6望man4文sang1生ji6義，ni1呢go3個ci4詞jyu5語ji3意si1思m4唔hai6係gam3咁㗎。

Don't interpret this literally, the meaning of this phrase isn't like that.

hou2好do1多jan4人gin3見dou2到go3個ming4名zau6就mong6望man4文sang1生ji6義，kei4其sat6實keoi5佢hai6係jat1一gaan1間caan1餐teng1廳。

Many people see the name and jump to conclusions, but it's actually a restaurant.

Common phrases

jung4容ji6易mong6望man4文sang1生ji6義

easy to misinterpret literally

cit3切gei6忌mong6望man4文sang1生ji6義

must avoid interpreting literally

Common mistake

Learners often confuse this with simply being wrong about a definition. It specifically refers to the process of misinterpreting something because you are relying too heavily on the literal meaning of the characters rather than the established idiom or context.