hat1 ling4乞靈乞灵
Jyutpinghat1 ling4
Yalehāt lìhng
Definition
To pray to spirits or gods for help, inspiration, or a miracle.
colloquialother
How it's used
Refers specifically to the act of praying or performing rituals at a sacred site to request supernatural intervention for a problem or wish. It carries a sense of desperation or earnestness, often implying that conventional solutions have been exhausted. While it involves spiritual practice, it is distinct from general worship or casual temple visits.
Examples
He has been sick for a long time and went to the temple to seek help from the spirits.
Related words
Common phrases
go to a temple to seek divine help
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe casual or routine prayer, as it specifically implies a transactional or petitionary request for help in a time of need.
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.
