pou4 saat3 sam1 coeng4菩薩心腸菩萨心肠
Jyutpingpou4 saat3 sam1 coeng4
Yalepòuh saat sām chèuhng
Definition
A compassionate and kind heart; the heart of a bodhisattva.
colloquialpeopledescriptions
How it's used
This idiom describes someone who is exceptionally compassionate, often to the point of being naive or easily taken advantage of. It carries a slightly literary or dramatic weight, so it is often used when commenting on someone's character in a reflective or evaluative way. You will frequently hear it used with the particle 嘅 to describe a person's nature.
Measure word
fu3副fuExamples
He really has a kind heart and is always helping others.
Related words
Common phrases
a kind-hearted nature
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe simple politeness or friendliness. It implies a deep, almost saintly level of selflessness and mercy, so using it for someone who just did a small favor can sound sarcastic or overly dramatic.
Grammar color guide
Noun
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Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
