gat1 coeng4吉祥
Jyutpinggat1 coeng4
Yalegāt chèuhng
Definition
Lucky, auspicious, or propitious.
neutralfestivaldescriptions
How it's used
Primarily reserved for formal settings, traditional festivals, or when discussing cultural symbols like red packets or decorations. It carries a sense of solemnity or traditional blessing that makes it sound slightly out of place in casual, everyday conversation about personal luck. Use 好運 instead for general situations where things are going your way.
Examples
Wishing you everything goes well and brings good luck this year.
This ornament looks very auspicious.
Related words
Common phrases
may everything go as you wish and bring good luck
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the Cantonese word 吉, which is a homophone for empty in some dialects, though in Hong Kong it is widely understood as lucky in contexts like 吉屋. Learners often over-apply this word to mundane daily events where it sounds overly dramatic or archaic.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- 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.
