jin3宴
Jyutpingjin3
Yaleyin
Definition
A banquet, feast, or big meal held to commemorate or celebrate an event.
neutralfoodpeople
How it's used
Unlike the English word party which is very broad, 宴 is almost exclusively used in formal or semi-formal contexts involving a large, structured meal. It is a bound morpheme that rarely stands alone in modern spoken Cantonese, usually appearing as a suffix in compound words like 婚宴 or 壽宴. Using it as a standalone verb to mean 'to host a party' sounds archaic or overly literary.
Examples
There is a wedding banquet tonight, do you want to go together?
They held a celebration banquet and invited the whole department to eat.
Related words
Common phrases
wedding banquet
celebration banquet
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 晏, which sounds similar but means late or afternoon. Learners often mix these up because they share a similar visual structure.
Grammar color guide
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Adjective
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Grammar guides
- TonesCantonese has six tones, and the tones can change in certain grammatical contexts. Learn the six tones and the rules for tone change.
- Time and datesClock time, days of the week, months, and years. The patterns you need to make plans and talk about when things happen.
- Modal verbsHow to say can, will, may, should, must, and want. The core modal verbs of Cantonese and the differences that trip up beginners.
