mou5 man4 lung6 mak6舞文弄墨
Jyutpingmou5 man4 lung6 mak6
Yalemóuh màhn luhng mahk
Definition
To show off one's literary skills, or to distort the law by playing with words.
- to show off one's writing skills or literary talent
- literaryto play with words or exploit legal loopholes through clever writing
colloquialcommunication
How it's used
Carries a slightly sarcastic or critical undertone, implying that someone is being overly pretentious or focusing on flowery language rather than substance. It is often used to describe someone who uses unnecessarily complex vocabulary to sound more educated or sophisticated than they actually are.
Examples
He always likes to show off his literary skills.
Related words
Common phrases
likes to show off literary skills
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe someone who is genuinely talented at writing or poetry, as it almost always implies a negative or insincere attitude toward the act of writing.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
