baai3 tong4拜堂
Jyutpingbaai3 tong4
Yalebaai tòhng
Definition
To kowtow to heaven, earth, and ancestors as part of a traditional Chinese wedding ceremony.
colloquialfamilyfestival
How it's used
Refers specifically to the ritual of bowing to ancestors or parents during a traditional Chinese wedding. It is rarely used in modern urban weddings unless the couple chooses to hold a strictly traditional ceremony. The term carries a sense of formality and cultural heritage that contrasts with modern Western style weddings.
Examples
They went to the ancestral hall to perform the wedding kowtow today.
What time will you two start the wedding kowtow ceremony?
Related words
Common phrases
first bow to heaven and earth
second bow to parents
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with general bowing or praying to ancestors, as it is strictly reserved for the wedding context involving a bride and groom.
Grammar color guide
Noun
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Adjective
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Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
