seon3 gaau3信教
Jyutpingseon3 gaau3
Yaleseun gaau
Definition
To believe in a religion, most commonly referring to Christianity.
colloquialpeopleother
How it's used
Refers almost exclusively to Christianity or Catholicism in a local context. While it literally means to believe in a religion, using it to describe someone who practices Buddhism or Taoism is rare and often sounds unnatural. It carries a sense of active participation in a church community rather than just holding a private belief.
Examples
When did you start professing your faith?
All of their family members profess a faith.
Related words
Common phrases
religious person
Common mistake
Do not use this to mean believing in a specific fact or trusting someone, as that requires the verb 信 or 相信 instead. Using it for non-Abrahamic faiths can cause confusion, as those are often described using terms like 食齋 or 拜神.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
