long4 jin1狼煙狼烟
Jyutpinglong4 jin1
Yalelòhng yīn
Definition
Smoke signal used in ancient times by frontier guards to warn of warfare.
writtenother
How it's used
Historically, this refers to the smoke produced by burning wolf dung in signal towers to warn of invasions. It is now primarily a literary term used in historical contexts or as a metaphor for the outbreak of war. You will rarely encounter it in modern daily conversation unless discussing history or using it figuratively to describe a tense situation.
Examples
In ancient times, seeing smoke signals at the border meant enemy troops were approaching.
Related words
Common phrases
to light a smoke signal
smoke signals rising everywhere, indicating war is breaking out
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.
