mou4 soeng4無常无常
Jyutpingmou4 soeng4
Yalemòuh sèuhng
Definition
Impermanent, ever-changing, and variable.
neutraldescriptionsemotion
How it's used
Often carries a philosophical or slightly melancholic weight when discussing the nature of life. While it can describe a person's shifting moods, it is more commonly used in a broader sense to describe the unpredictable nature of external events or fate.
Examples
Life is impermanent, everyone should learn to cherish those around them.
Their personality is unpredictable, happy one moment and throwing a tantrum the next.
Related words
Common phrases
the world is ever-changing
fickle personality
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the Mandarin usage where it can refer to a specific deity or ghost in folklore. In Cantonese, it is strictly used as an adjective to describe the quality of being unstable or transient.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
