kei4祇
Jyutpingkei4
Yalekèih
Definition
Earthly deity; god of the earth.
neutralother
How it's used
Refers specifically to local spirits or deities of the land, often associated with the neighborhood shrine known as 土地公. It carries a formal or literary tone compared to the more common spoken term 土地公. You will mostly encounter it in compound words like 神祇 or when referring to the spiritual guardian of a specific plot of land.
Examples
There is an earth deity shrine here, blessing the neighbors with peace.
Do you know where one can go to worship the earth deity?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 只, which is a common particle meaning only or just. They look similar but have completely different functions and meanings.
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.
