se5 gung1社公
Jyutpingse5 gung1
Yaleséh gūng
Definition
The Earth God, a male tutelary deity of a local community.
colloquialother
How it's used
Refers specifically to the local guardian deity of a village or neighborhood, often represented by a small shrine or a simple stone under a tree. Unlike the more formal 土地公, the term 社公 carries a more rustic, grassroots feel associated with traditional village life in the New Territories. It is common to see elderly residents offering incense at these small shrines on the first and fifteenth day of the lunar month.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
There is an Earth God temple nearby here.
Do you know where there is an Earth God to worship?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 土地公, which is a more general term for the Earth God used throughout Chinese-speaking regions. 社公 is highly specific to the local, often rural, community context in Hong Kong.
Grammar color guide
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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.
