waan4頑顽
Jyutpingwaan4
Yalewàahn
Definition
Stubborn, obstinate, or unwilling to change.
colloquialdescriptionspeople
How it's used
頑 is rarely used as a standalone adjective in modern spoken Cantonese, appearing almost exclusively in compound words like 頑固. It carries a negative connotation of being unreasonably inflexible or resistant to change. When describing a child who is merely mischievous or naughty, use 頑皮 instead.
Examples
He is very stubborn, no matter how you persuade him, he won't listen.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not use 頑 as a direct translation for stubborn in all contexts, as it sounds formal or literary on its own. Use 固執 for general stubbornness or 頑皮 when referring to a child's behavior.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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).
