hau6 gung1後宮后宫
Jyutpinghau6 gung1
Yalehauh gūng
Definition
Harem; the collective wives and concubines of a monarch or nobleman in a polygamous system.
neutralpeopleother
How it's used
Refers specifically to the secluded living quarters of a ruler's wives and concubines in historical contexts. It is now frequently used in pop culture to describe anime or drama plots where one protagonist is surrounded by multiple romantic interests.
Examples
The drama he is watching is about the power struggles in the harem.
The harem of an ancient emperor was truly very complicated.
Related words
Common phrases
beautiful women in the harem
harem power struggle for favor
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe a modern household with multiple partners, as it carries a strong historical and imperial connotation that sounds bizarre in a contemporary social context.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
