gwang1薨
Jyutpinggwang1
Yalegwāng
Definition
To die, specifically referring to the death of a prince, feudal lord, or high official; also used to describe a loud, rumbling sound.
- archaicto die (of a prince, feudal lord, or high official)
- literarynoisy; rumbling; buzzing
writtenpeopleother
How it's used
This character is primarily restricted to formal historical contexts when referring to the death of royalty or high-ranking officials. In modern spoken Cantonese, it is almost exclusively used in the reduplicated form 薨薨嘈嘈 to describe a loud, buzzing, or chaotic noise. Using it to describe the death of an ordinary person is considered highly inappropriate and confusing.
Examples
The ancient emperor has passed away.
They are making a lot of noise over there.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a common verb for dying, but it is strictly reserved for high-status individuals in historical narratives. Outside of the specific reduplicated phrase for noise, it is rarely encountered in daily life.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
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Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- 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.
