gwai2 zit3鬼節鬼节
Jyutpinggwai2 zit3
Yalegwái jit
Definition
Ghost festival; a festival related to ghosts or spirits, such as Halloween or the Hungry Ghost Festival.
colloquialfestival
How it's used
Refers broadly to any cultural festival centered on spirits or the supernatural, rather than being a specific proper noun for one single holiday. While often associated with the Hungry Ghost Festival, it is frequently used to describe Western holidays like Halloween as well. It carries a slightly superstitious tone, often accompanied by warnings from older generations to avoid staying out late or going near water.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
Tomorrow is the Ghost Festival, do you remember to go home yet?
During the Ghost Festival, elders usually tell us to go home early.
Related words
Common phrases
to celebrate or observe the Ghost Festival
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the specific name of the traditional Chinese festival, which is 盂蘭節. Using 鬼節 is more of a descriptive or colloquial way to categorize these types of events.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
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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.
