hang4 ho4 saa1恆河沙恒河沙
Jyutpinghang4 ho4 saa1
Yalehàhng hòh sā
Definition
A Buddhist term meaning an immense, countless quantity, like the sands of the Ganges River.
neutralother
How it's used
Originating from Buddhist scriptures, this idiom describes an uncountable or infinite quantity. It is often used in formal writing or literary contexts to emphasize an overwhelming scale that defies simple calculation. In everyday speech, it is usually followed by 咁 to function as a descriptive simile.
Examples
The worries in his heart are as numerous as the sands of the Ganges.
There are so many stars here, like the sands of the Ganges, you can't count them all.
Related words
Common phrases
as numerous as the sands of the Ganges
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe a large but finite number that you could actually count if you had enough time. It is reserved for quantities that are practically infinite or impossible to enumerate.
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.
