gung1穹
Jyutpinggung1
Yalegūng
Definition
The sky; the vault of heaven.
writtennature
How it's used
Functions almost exclusively as a literary morpheme in modern Cantonese. It is rarely used in isolation and is almost always found in compound words like 穹蒼 or 穹頂. Using it in casual speech sounds overly poetic or archaic.
Examples
Looking at the sky, my mood feels a bit better.
Related words
Common phrases
the vast sky
dome
Common mistake
Learners often mistake it for a common noun like 天 or 天空. Since it is a bound morpheme, it cannot stand alone as the subject or object of a sentence in daily conversation.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
