hung2 ming4 dang1孔明燈孔明灯
Jyutpinghung2 ming4 dang1
Yalehúng mìhng dāng
Definition
Sky lantern; a paper hot-air balloon with a small fire at the opening to make it float.
colloquialfestivalplaces
How it's used
Releasing these lanterns is a traditional activity often associated with festivals like the Mid-Autumn Festival or the Lantern Festival. It carries a cultural connotation of sending wishes or prayers up to the heavens as the lantern drifts away. Note that in Hong Kong, there are strict regulations regarding their use due to fire safety concerns and potential hazards to aviation.
Measure word
zaan2盞jánExamples
On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, we went to release sky lanterns together.
Do you know where one can buy sky lanterns?
Related words
Common phrases
to release a sky lantern
Common mistake
Learners sometimes confuse this with the decorative red lanterns hung in doorways or streets, which are called 燈籠. Remember that 孔明燈 specifically refers to the hot-air balloon style lanterns that are meant to be released into the sky.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
