wai2 jyun2委婉
Jyutpingwai2 jyun2
Yalewái yún
Definition
Tactful, indirect, or mild in speech to avoid causing embarrassment or hurt feelings.
neutralcommunicationpeople
How it's used
Focuses on the delivery of a message rather than the content itself. It implies a conscious effort to soften the blow of bad news or a critique. While it describes a positive social skill, it can sometimes be used to describe someone who is being overly evasive or beating around the bush.
Examples
They speak very tactfully because they don't want to make you feel bad.
Is there any way you can tell them about this more tactfully?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with being shy or quiet. It specifically refers to the strategy of choosing words carefully to maintain social harmony.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- 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.
