dei6 fu2地府

Jyutpingdei6 fu2

Yaledeih fú

名詞Uncommon

Definition

Underworld or Hades; the place where souls go after death in traditional beliefs.

neutralother

How it's used

Refers specifically to the bureaucratic afterlife found in Chinese folk religion, often depicted as having a court system similar to the imperial government. It carries a heavy cultural weight related to karmic retribution and ancestral worship. Unlike the Western concept of Hell, it is viewed as a place where souls are processed and judged rather than just a place of eternal punishment.

Examples

teng1聽gong2講jan4人sei2死zo2咗zi1之hau6後wui2會heoi3去dei6地fu2府bou3報dou3到。

I heard that after people die, they go to the underworld to report.

nei5你gam3咁joeng2樣zou6做，sei2死zo2咗dim2點joeng2樣heoi3去dei6地fu2府gin3見zou2祖sin1先aa4呀？

If you act like this, how will you face your ancestors in the underworld after you die?

Common phrases

lok6落dei6地fu2府

to go to the underworld

dei6地fu2府sam2審pun3判

underworld judgment

Common mistake

Avoid using this word to describe the Christian concept of Hell, which is better translated as 地獄. While they overlap in some contexts, 地府 emphasizes the administrative and ancestral aspects of the afterlife.