seon3巽
Jyutpingseon3
Yaleseun
Definition
The Xun trigram (☴) representing wind in the Yijing, or to be modest, mild, or obedient.
- literarythe Xun trigram (☴) in the Yijing, representing wind
- literaryto obey; to yield
- literarymild; modest; meek
colloquialdescriptions
How it's used
Used primarily to describe a personality that is gentle, yielding, or overly accommodating to the point of being a pushover. It carries a nuance of lacking assertiveness, which can be viewed as a positive trait of modesty or a negative trait of weakness depending on the context.
Examples
He is a very mild-mannered person and rarely argues with others.
Don't be so submissive; you need to stand your ground.
Related words
Common phrases
mild personality
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the Mandarin usage, as it is rarely encountered in modern spoken Cantonese outside of specific regional or literary contexts. Most native speakers will use 順從 or 隨和 instead to convey similar meanings.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
