gun1棺
Jyutpinggun1
Yalegūn
Definition
Coffin; a box in which a dead body is buried.
neutralother
How it's used
棺 is a formal or literary character that is rarely used alone in daily speech. Most speakers prefer the two-character compound 棺材 to refer to a coffin. Using 棺 by itself can sound overly dramatic or archaic, often appearing in idioms or formal descriptions of death.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
He bought a coffin to prepare for his funeral.
Who would buy a coffin and bring it home for no reason?
Related words
Common phrases
savings for one's funeral
to get promoted and become rich
Common mistake
Learners often mistake 棺 for a verb or a general container, but it is strictly reserved for the funerary object. Do not use it to describe boxes or storage containers, as that would sound morbid or confusing.
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.
