sang1 hei3 but6 but6生氣勃勃生气勃勃
Jyutpingsang1 hei3 but6 but6
Yalesāng hei buht buht
Definition
Vibrant and full of life; energetic; full of vitality.
neutraldescriptions
How it's used
While this idiom describes a vibrant state, it is used more frequently in written contexts or formal speech than in casual daily chatter. When describing people or animals in everyday life, native speakers often prefer more direct adjectives like 有活力 or 精神.
Examples
He was so full of life when he was a kid.
Seeing the kids so full of energy makes me happy too.
Related words
Common phrases
full of vitality
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly use this to describe a person who is currently angry, confusing the character 生氣 with the Mandarin meaning of being mad. In Cantonese, 生氣勃勃 strictly refers to vitality and life force, never to temper or mood.
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.
