ming5 fan1冥婚
Jyutpingming5 fan1
Yalemíhng fān
Definition
Ghost marriage; a wedding ceremony involving one or both deceased partners.
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How it's used
This term refers to a traditional ritual rather than a modern legal union, often performed to settle the spirits of those who died unmarried. It carries a heavy, superstitious connotation and is rarely discussed in casual conversation unless talking about horror films or folklore. Unlike a normal wedding, it is strictly associated with funeral rites and ancestral worship.
Measure word
coeng4場chèunghExamples
I heard their family is arranging a ghost marriage for them.
Common phrases
to hold a ghost marriage
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with a regular wedding or use it lightly, as it is deeply tied to death and mourning rituals. It is not a term used to describe a romantic relationship between living people.
Grammar color guide
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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.
