nyun6嫩

Jyutpingnyun6

Yalenyuhn

形容詞Common

Definition

Soft, tender, and delicate, or young and inexperienced.

soft, tender, and delicate, such as young skin or tender meat
figurativeinexperienced, green, or immature

colloquialfooddescriptions

How it's used

Beyond describing food texture, this word is frequently used to describe someone who is naive or lacks professional experience. It carries a slightly condescending or patronizing tone when applied to people, implying that the person is still green or wet behind the ears. When referring to skin, it implies a youthful, supple, and healthy quality.

Examples

le1呢faai3塊ngau4牛juk6肉hou2好nyun6嫩，jat1一ngaau5咬zau6就laan6爛。

This piece of beef is very tender, it falls apart in one bite.

keoi5佢ceot1出dou6道go2嗰zan6陣zung6仲hou2好nyun6嫩，me1咩dou1都m4唔sik1識。

He was still very inexperienced when he first debuted, he didn't know anything.

Common phrases

nyun6嫩hau2口

tender (food)

nyun6嫩waat6滑

tender and smooth

Common mistake

Do not confuse this with 軟, which simply means soft or flexible. While 嫩 implies a positive, fresh, or youthful quality, 軟 can be used for anything that is not hard, including things that are mushy or limp, which would be negative in a culinary context.