gam1 ngan4 zi2金銀紙金银纸
Jyutpinggam1 ngan4 zi2
Yalegām ngàhn jí
Definition
Joss paper; ghost money burned for ancestors, deities, and spirits.
colloquialfestivalother
How it's used
Refers specifically to the ritual paper burned to honor ancestors or deities. While often used as a general term, it covers various types of paper offerings like silver foil for ancestors and gold foil for gods. It is an essential cultural item during festivals like Ching Ming or Chung Yeung.
Measure word
daap6疊daphExamples
Remember to buy more joss paper for the grave sweeping.
Where can I buy joss paper around here?
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this term to refer to actual currency or paper money, as it is strictly for ceremonial use in ancestral worship.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
