ceon1 hyun1椿萱

Jyutpingceon1 hyun1

Yalechēun hyūn

Definition

One's parents.

datedfamilypeople

How it's used

This term is a classical literary metaphor derived from ancient texts where the 椿 tree represents the father and the 萱 plant represents the mother. It is rarely used in modern spoken Cantonese and carries a formal or poetic weight that sounds quite archaic in daily life. Using it in casual conversation will likely strike listeners as overly dramatic or intentionally old fashioned.

Examples

keoi5佢hou2好haau3孝seon6順ceon1椿hyun1萱，seng4成jat6日faan1返uk1屋kei2企sik6食faan6飯。

He is very filial to his parents and often goes home to eat.

nei5你gei2幾noi6耐mou5冇taam3探gwo3過nei5你ge3嘅ceon1椿hyun1萱aa4呀？

How long has it been since you visited your parents?

Common phrases

ceon1椿hyun1萱bing6並mau6茂

both parents are alive and healthy

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for a common term, but it is strictly literary and should be avoided in standard professional or casual communication to prevent sounding unnatural or pretentious.