fo2 seoi2 dang1火水燈火水灯
Jyutpingfo2 seoi2 dang1
Yalefó séui dāng
Definition
Kerosene lamp; an oil lamp that burns kerosene and uses a glass chimney to protect the flame.
colloquialhomeother
How it's used
Refers specifically to the traditional glass-chimney lamps that were once a staple in Hong Kong households before electricity became universal. It is now largely a nostalgic term, as these lamps are rarely used for their original purpose and are mostly seen as antiques or decorative items. The term relies on the Cantonese word for kerosene, which is 火水.
Measure word
zaan2盞jánExamples
Back when the power went out, we had to light a kerosene lamp at home.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
