hoeng1 jau4香油

Jyutpinghoeng1 jau4

Yalehēung yàuh

名詞

Definition

Sesame oil, or a donation made to a temple.

sesame oil
money donated to a temple

colloquialfoodother

How it's used

Distinguishing between the culinary and religious meanings relies entirely on context. When referring to the donation, it is almost exclusively used in the phrase 添香油, which implies a voluntary act of merit-making. Using it in a culinary sense is straightforward, though it specifically refers to sesame oil rather than any generic cooking oil.

Examples

zyu2煮ni1呢go3個coi3菜gei3記dak1得lok6落siu2少siu2少hoeng1香jau4油。

Remember to add a little sesame oil when cooking this dish.

nei5你daa2打syun3算heoi3去miu6廟dou6度tim1添gei2幾do1多hoeng1香jau4油aa4呀？

How much money are you planning to donate to the temple?

Common phrases

tim1添hoeng1香jau4油

to donate money to a temple

dik6滴hoeng1香jau4油

to add a drop of sesame oil

Common mistake

Learners often confuse this with general cooking oil. If you are talking about vegetable or peanut oil, use 煮食油 instead, as 香油 is specifically associated with the distinct aroma of sesame oil.