jyun4 zik6原籍
Jyutpingjyun4 zik6
Yaleyyùnh jikh
Definition
Ancestral home (town)
neutralpeoplefamily
How it's used
This term is almost exclusively used when filling out official forms or discussing family lineage and genealogy. It refers specifically to the place where one's paternal ancestors were registered, which may be different from where one was born or raised. It is a formal concept that rarely appears in casual, everyday conversation unless someone is specifically asking about family roots.
Examples
nei5 jyun4 zik6 hai6 bin1 dou6 aa4
你原籍係邊度呀？
Where is your ancestral hometown?
keoi5 jyun4 zik6 gwong2 dung1 bat1 gwo3 hai2 hoeng1 gong2 ceot1 sai3
佢原籍廣東，不過喺香港出世。
His ancestral home is in Guangdong, but he was born in Hong Kong.
Related words
Common phrases
jyun4 zik6 gwong2 dung1
原籍廣東
ancestral home in Guangdong
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 鄉下, which is a much more casual term that can refer to the place where one's family currently lives or where one spent their childhood summers. Using 原籍 in a casual chat about where you grew up can sound overly stiff or bureaucratic.
Tone guide
T1High level
T2High rising
T3Mid level
T4Low falling
T5Low rising
T6Low level
Grammar guides
- NegationHow to say no, not, didn't, and don't in Cantonese. The four main negation words and when to use each one.
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
