sau1 joeng5修養修养
Jyutpingsau1 joeng5
Yalesāu yéuhng
Definition
Moral and intellectual sophistication, or the sum of one's character traits.
neutralpeopledescriptions
How it's used
Refers to a person's inner refinement, manners, and moral depth rather than just their education level. It implies a sense of self-discipline and emotional maturity that prevents one from acting impulsively or rudely. While it can be used to describe someone's intellectual background, it is most frequently invoked when criticizing someone for a lack of basic decency or social grace.
Examples
He speaks so rudely, it is really off-putting.
Do you think a person's character is cultivated through reading?
Related words
Common phrases
lacking in manners or sophistication
to improve one's character
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the English word cultivation in an agricultural sense. It is strictly about personal development and character, so it cannot be used to describe farming or growing plants.
Grammar color guide
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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).
