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Learn Mandarin Chinese phrase – What is 潇洒 xiao sa? Or what does the phrase 潇洒 mean?

If I were a serious Chinese learner like you are, I would go checking the dictionaries, and these are what I found:

1 mdbg — natural and unrestrained (of a person’s appearance, demeanor, carriage) / elegant and unconventional.
2 nciku — natural and unaffected.

So, basically you will know 潇洒 this phrase is something to do with natural doing of a person. It is safe to assume that it refers to certain people with a natural and unrestrained way of doing things.

You might ask why 潇洒 xiao sa these two words have such meaning. Yes, that is surely a good question. If we look further to the formation of the words, then we know that 潇 xiao’s definition is the sound of beating wind and rain; it belongs to (形声 xing sheng ) Pictophonetic method with water suggesting the meaning while 萧provides the sound. For 洒 xiao sa, it means sprinkle; scatter; pour; to wipe away; to shiver; for the formation, it also belongs to (形声 xing sheng ) Pictophonetic category with 3 dot water suggesting the meaning while 西 provideing the sound.
Thus, 潇洒 xiao sa this phrase originally refers to the natural unrestrained way like wind blowing or rain splashing.

nciku also gives readers a few bunch of example sentences. They are rough translation, not perfect, but they also give you some general understanding of the sentences.

The first sentence
[audio:http://www.chinesetolearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/natural.mp3|titles=natural]
你看他站在冲浪板上乘风破浪，多潇洒！
nǐ kàn tā zhàn zài chōnglàngbǎn shàng chéngfēngpòlàng , duō xiāosǎ !
The translation from the online dictionary is:

Look how handsome he is as he rides on his surfboard.
The Google translate is:
You see he stood on surfboards, wind and waves, more chic!
You did smile at Google translate sometimes, right?

I translate it as:
You see, the way he was standing on the surfboard riding the wind and breaking the waves, how natural and unrestrained!

The second sentence is
他身穿吊带西裤，跳起舞来非常潇洒.
tā shēnchuāndiào dài xī kù , tiàoqǐ wǔ lái fēicháng xiāosǎ .
The translation from the online dictionary is:

He is wearing a suit with shoulder straps and doing a stylish dance.
The Google translate is:
He was wearing a suit with shoulder straps, and dance to a very chic.

I translate it as:
He was wearing dress pants with shoulder straps. The way he danced was very natural and unaffected.

So, what 潇洒 really means?

This is a Chinese definition I found online:
[audio:http://www.chinesetolearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/natural1.mp3|titles=natural]
潇洒，总体是指行为自然大方，不呆板，不拘束，多用来形容神态和容貌，也指举止。潇洒是一种境界，潇洒不只是言行举止的超然神采风度翩翩，而是自然、独具风韵的境界；潇洒是坦诚、是率真，更是是对待生命诚挚的态度。
http://baike.baidu.com/view/348787.htm?wtp=tt

潇洒，总体是指行为自然大方，不呆板，不拘束，
xiāosǎ , zǒngtǐ shìzhǐxíngwéi zìrán dàfāng , bù áibǎn , bùjūshù ,
xiāosǎ, generally speaking, refers to behavior natural and generous, not inflexible, unrestrained

多用来形容神态和容貌，也指举止。
duō yònglái xíngróng shéntài hé róngmào , yě zhǐ jǔzhǐ .
Usually is used to describe deportment, appearance, also refers to bearing

潇洒是一种境界
xiāosǎ shì yī zhǒng jìngjiè ,
xiāosǎ is one kind of realm

潇洒不只是言行举止的超然神采风度翩翩，
xiāosǎ bù zhǐshì yánxíngjǔzhǐ de chāo rán shén cǎifēng dù piānpiān,
xiāosǎ is not only referring to demeanor’s detached spirit, expression and elegant grace

而是自然、独具风韵的境界
érshì zìrán , dújù fēng yùn de jìngjiè
But also natural, unique charm of realm

潇洒是坦诚、是率真，
xiāosǎ shì tǎnchéng , shì lǜ zhēn ,
xiāosǎ is candid, frank and sincere

更是是对待生命诚挚的态度。
gèng shì shì duìdài shēngmìng chéngzhì de tàidu .
It is also the cordial attitude to treat life.

Thus, the basic definition of 潇洒xiāosǎ

潇洒xiāosǎ : natural and unrestrained
[audio:http://www.chinesetolearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/natural2.mp3|titles=natural]
　　(1) refers to the natural, magnanimous, unrestrained spirit, expression and demeanor
他的神情、举止自然大方非常潇洒。
tā de shénqíng , jǔzhǐ zìrán dàfāng fēicháng xiāosǎ .
His spirit, expression, and demeanor all are very natural, magnanimous and very unrestrained.

他的动作不矫揉造作, 非常潇洒。
tā de dòngzuò bù jiǎróuzàozuò , fēicháng xiāosǎ .
His action, without putting any artificial airs, is very natural and unrestrained.

(2) natural, elegant, not reserved or overcautious, without putting on artificial airs

他的衣着潇洒文雅。
tā de yīzhuó xiāosǎ wényǎ.
His clothing is natural and elegant.

他的画法潇洒。
tā de huàfǎ xiāosǎ .
His drawing method is very elegant and unconventional.

(3) Do things based on his own or her own thinking, not affected by other; just be the person himself or herself, and not care much about other people think.
[audio:http://www.chinesetolearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/note.mp3|titles=note]
他很潇洒的把钱都捐给了慈善机关。
tā hěn xiāosǎ de bǎ qián dōu juān gěi le císhàn jīguān .
Based on his natural self unrestrainedly, he donated all his money to charity organization.

他很潇洒的跟他的爱人说再见，从此浪迹天涯，孤独一生。
tā hěn xiāosǎ de gēn tā de àiren shuō zàijiàn , cóngcǐ làng jì tiānyá , gūdú yīshēng .
He said farewell to his lover with unaffected style; since that moment he had wandered in the edge of the world, and lived alone for all his life.

After this lengthy explanation, I conclude this post with — 潇洒 means a person to be true to one’s feeling and do things unrestrainedly without being affected by others’ opinion.

葉蒨文 Sally Yeh Ye Qian Wen
潇洒走一回 for the lyrics, pinyin and English translation, see http://www.chinesetolearn.com/?p=4437
Xiao Sa Zou Yi Hui
Naturally and unrestrainedly walk once

True – Spandau Ballet