buk1 gwaa3卜卦
Jyutpingbuk1 gwaa3
Yalebūk gwa
Definition
To divine; to practice divination, particularly using the Eight Trigrams (bagua).
colloquialother
How it's used
Refers specifically to the practice of consulting the I Ching or similar systems to predict the future. While it involves the concept of 八卦, it is treated as a distinct action of seeking guidance rather than just discussing the symbols themselves. It carries a slightly traditional or superstitious nuance compared to more modern methods of fortune telling.
Examples
Are you free to go get your fortune told tomorrow?
Related words
Common phrases
to go get a fortune reading
to have someone perform divination
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the slang term 八卦 which means to gossip or to be nosy. While they share the same characters, the pronunciation and context are entirely different.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
