dang1 fo2燈火灯火
Jyutpingdang1 fo2
Yaledāng fó
Definition
Artificial light; lighting.
neutralplacesdescriptions
How it's used
Unlike the more common 燈光 which refers specifically to the illumination from a lamp or bulb, 燈火 carries a slightly more poetic or descriptive tone. It is frequently used in set phrases to describe the atmosphere of a city or a scene at night. You will often hear it in contexts involving scenery or the feeling of warmth from human habitation.
Examples
It is ablaze with lights here at night, very lively.
I see some lights in the distance, there should be people living there.
Related words
Common phrases
ablaze with lights
the lights of ten thousand homes
Common mistake
Do not use 燈火 when talking about the technical brightness of a specific light source, such as a camera flash or a desk lamp; use 燈光 instead. 燈火 is more about the collective glow of lights in an environment.
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.
