bei3 jam3庇蔭庇荫
Jyutpingbei3 jam3
Yalebei yam
Definition
To protect and bless, especially of an elder or deity safeguarding descendants or followers.
neutralfamilyother
How it's used
Refers specifically to the protective influence or blessings passed down from elders, ancestors, or divine figures to their descendants. It carries a formal and slightly reverent tone, often used in contexts involving family heritage, luck, or spiritual guidance. Unlike general words for protection, this implies a sense of inherited grace or long-term guardianship.
Examples
He has been blessed and protected by his ancestors his whole life.
I hope God can bless and protect our family.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe physical protection, such as a security guard or a helmet, as it is reserved for abstract, spiritual, or ancestral blessings.
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.
