lim4奩奁
Jyutpinglim4
Yalelìhm
Definition
Bridal trousseau; a bride's dowry of clothes, housewares, and personal items.
writtenfamily
How it's used
This term is highly formal and primarily appears in traditional wedding contexts or literature. In modern daily life, people almost exclusively use the term 嫁妝 instead to refer to the items a bride brings to her new home. Using 奩 in casual conversation will sound archaic or overly poetic.
Measure word
fan2份fánExamples
Her family prepared a lot of bridal trousseau for her.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a common noun used in everyday shopping, but it is strictly reserved for traditional wedding customs. Using it to describe general luggage or personal belongings will cause confusion.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
