fung1 ce1風車风车
Jyutpingfung1 ce1
Yalefūng chē
Definition
A windmill, or a toy pinwheel.
- windmill; a building with large external sails driven by the wind
- pinwheel; a toy or ornament with vanes on a stick that spin in the wind
neutralfestivalother
How it's used
Beyond the literal structure used for generating energy, the term is deeply associated with the Lunar New Year tradition of spinning a pinwheel at temples to turn one's luck around. It is common to see small, decorative paper or plastic versions sold as charms during this period. When referring to the large industrial structures, speakers often use the term specifically in the context of renewable energy or European landscapes.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
san1新nin4年heoi3去ce1車gung1公miu6廟zyun3轉go3個fung1風ce1車，hei1希mong6望lai4嚟gan2緊jat1一nin4年seon6順seon6順lei6利lei6利。
I'm going to Che Kung Temple during Lunar New Year to spin the windmill, hoping for a smooth year ahead.
When I was little, I loved running around the park holding a paper pinwheel.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse the physical object with the idiom 轉風車, which specifically refers to the act of spinning the pinwheel at a temple for good fortune rather than the mechanical rotation of a turbine.
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.
