hoeng1 lou4 fui1香爐灰香炉灰

Jyutpinghoeng1 lou4 fui1

Yalehēung lòuh fūi

名詞

Definition

The ash inside an incense burner used to secure and hold incense sticks and candles upright.

colloquialhomeother

How it's used

Refers specifically to the fine, powdery substance found in traditional Chinese altars. It is treated with a degree of reverence, as it is believed to hold the spiritual energy of past offerings. When cleaning an altar, one typically uses a small spoon or brush to handle it carefully rather than simply dumping it out.

Measure word

dau1兜dāu

Examples

hoeng1香lou4爐fui1灰jap6入min6面caap3插zo2咗saam1三zi1支hoeng1香。

Three incense sticks are inserted into the incense ash.

nei5你sai2使m4唔sai2使wun6換gwo3過di1啲hoeng1香lou4爐fui1灰aa4呀？

Do you need to replace the incense ash?

Common phrases

wun6換hoeng1香lou4爐fui1灰

to replace the incense ash

Common mistake

Do not confuse this with regular household dust or dirt, as the term implies a specific religious context. Using it to describe general fireplace ash or cigarette ash would be incorrect and confusing to listeners.