baai3 sau6拜壽拜寿
Jyutpingbaai3 sau6
Yalebaai sauh
Definition
To offer birthday congratulations to an elderly person.
colloquialfamilypeople
How it's used
Focuses specifically on the act of paying respects to an elder on their birthday, often implying a formal or significant milestone celebration. It carries a sense of filial piety and tradition, distinguishing it from simply saying happy birthday to a peer. It is most commonly used when visiting older relatives or respected seniors for their birthday banquet.
Examples
I need to go congratulate my grandfather on his birthday next week.
Did you go to offer birthday felicitations to him this year?
Related words
Common phrases
to go to offer birthday felicitations
to prepare for birthday felicitations
Common mistake
Avoid using this for friends or people of your own generation, as it specifically implies a hierarchical relationship where you are paying respects to someone senior.
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.
