nin4 fo3年貨年货
Jyutpingnin4 fo3
Yalenìhn fo
Definition
Special purchases and goods prepared for the Chinese New Year.
colloquialfestivalshopping
How it's used
Refers specifically to the festive items such as candy boxes, dried seafood, and decorations purchased in preparation for the Lunar New Year. It is almost exclusively used in the context of the shopping spree that happens in the weeks leading up to the holiday. The term is rarely used in isolation and is most commonly paired with the verb 辦 to describe the act of shopping for these items.
Measure word
pai1批pāiExamples
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a general term for groceries, but it is strictly tied to the Lunar New Year season. Using it to describe regular weekly grocery shopping will sound confusing to native speakers.
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.
