sing3 daan3 zit3聖誕節圣诞节
Definition
Christmas; the Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus on December 25th.
How it's used
Christmas is widely celebrated in Hong Kong as a major commercial and social event rather than strictly a religious one. It is common for people to refer to the period simply as 聖誕, dropping the 節 suffix for brevity in casual conversation. The holiday is synonymous with shopping, elaborate light displays, and exchanging gifts, making it one of the busiest times of the year for the retail and dining industries.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
Related words
Common phrases
Common mistake
Learners sometimes confuse the holiday name with the act of giving gifts, but 聖誕節 specifically refers to the date or the season. Remember that in Hong Kong, the day after, known as Boxing Day, is also a public holiday, so people often refer to the entire period as 聖誕假期.
Grammar color guide
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
