mou5 fan1 cyun3冇分寸
Jyutpingmou5 fan1 cyun3
Yalemóuh fān chyun
Definition
Lacking a sense of propriety or restraint; not knowing when to stop.
colloquialpeopledescriptions
How it's used
Focuses on a lack of social awareness or an inability to read the room. It implies that someone has crossed a boundary of acceptable behavior, often by being too loud, too pushy, or overly familiar in a situation that calls for restraint.
Examples
You speak so tactlessly, it is easy to offend people.
He really has no sense of propriety in his work and is always messing around.
Related words
Common phrases
to speak without tact
to act without knowing one's limits
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with being simply rude or mean. A person can be well intentioned but still be described as 冇分寸 if they fail to recognize the appropriate social limits of a situation.
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.
