gung1 so2公所
Jyutpinggung1 so2
Yalegūng só
Definition
Communal hall and office of a local administrative unit, used for public meetings and local affairs.
neutralplaces
How it's used
Refers specifically to traditional communal spaces in rural or village settings, often serving as a hub for local governance, ancestral worship, or dispute resolution. It carries a historical and cultural weight that modern government offices or community centres lack. You will mostly encounter this term in the context of New Territories village history or older administrative structures.
Measure word
gaan1間gānExamples
Villagers used to hold meetings at the communal hall all the time.
Is this communal hall still being used by anyone?
Related words
Common phrases
village office
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with a modern community centre, which is usually called 社區中心. Using it to describe a contemporary government office will sound confusingly archaic or rural.
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.
