瀟灑

Attestable in Chinese texts from at least the Tang dynasty.

This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

瀟灑

1. natural and unconstrained; aloof and charming
   • 1985, “日本娃娃”, in 許冠傑 (lyrics), 最緊要好玩, performed by 許冠傑:

     戴起副紫色太陽鏡，人就瀟灑 [Cantonese, trad.]
     戴起副紫色太阳镜，人就潇洒 [Cantonese, simp.]

     daai³ hei² fu³ zi² sik¹ taai³ joeng⁴ geng^3-2, jan⁴ zau⁶ siu¹ saa²

     One looks cooler after putting on a pair of purple sunglasses

   • 1991, “瀟灑走一回”, in 陳樂融, 王惠玲 (lyrics), 瀟灑走一回, performed by 葉蒨文:

     歲月不知人間多少的憂傷，何不瀟灑走一回 [MSC, trad.]
     岁月不知人间多少的忧伤，何不潇洒走一回 [MSC, simp.]

     suìyuè bùzhī rénjiān duōshǎo di yōushāng, hébù xiāosǎ zǒu yīhuí

     Time does not know how much distress is in our world; why not live life in an unrestrained way?

   • 2007, “男人KTV”, in 甄健強, 何啟弘, 林夕 (lyrics), 胡彥斌, 殷文琪, 蔡政勳 (music), JTV‎, performed by 側田:

     瀟灑分手裝作太輕易 [Cantonese, trad.]
     潇洒分手装作太轻易 [Cantonese, simp.]

     siu¹ saa² fan¹ sau² zong¹ zok³ taai³ hing¹ ji⁶

     It's too easy to pretend to break up without constraints

   • 2010, “瀟灑小姐”, in 葛大為, 小安 (lyrics), 小安 (music), 瀟灑小姐‎, performed by 蕭亞軒:

     我相信愛情瀟灑小姐不愛不行 [MSC, trad.]
     我相信爱情潇洒小姐不爱不行 [MSC, simp.]

     wǒ xiàngxìn àiqíng xiāosǎ xiǎojiě bù ài bùxíng

     I believe in love; Miss Natural can't help but fall in love

• 灑脫／洒脱 (sǎtuō)

瀟(しょう)灑(しゃ) • (shōsha) -na (adnominal 瀟(しょう)灑(しゃ)な (shōsha na), adverbial 瀟(しょう)灑(しゃ)に (shōsha ni))

1. Alternative form of 瀟洒