gou3 gaai2告解
Jyutpinggou3 gaai2
Yalegou gáai
Definition
To confess one's sins or wrongdoings to a priest.
neutralother
How it's used
This term is strictly tied to the Catholic sacrament of reconciliation. It is not used for general admissions of guilt or secrets in secular contexts, where people would instead use 認錯 or 講秘密.
Examples
How long has it been since you went to confession?
He went to the church to confess today.
Related words
Common phrases
to go to confession
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 認錯, which is a general admission of a mistake to anyone. Remember that 告解 specifically implies the religious ritual involving a priest.
Grammar color guide
Noun
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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).
