siu1 hoeng1燒香烧香
Jyutpingsiu1 hoeng1
Yalesīu hēung
Definition
To burn incense or joss sticks, usually as an offering to deities or ancestors.
colloquialdaily actionsother
How it's used
Burning incense is a deeply ingrained cultural practice in Hong Kong, often performed at temples or home altars to show respect to ancestors or deities. While the term specifically refers to the act of lighting the sticks, it is frequently used as a shorthand for the entire ritual of paying respects. You will often see people holding the incense with both hands and bowing three times as part of the process.
Examples
Remember to go to the temple to burn incense on the first and fifteenth of the lunar month.
Related words
Common phrases
go to the temple to burn incense
burn incense and pray to Buddha
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the act of burning other items, such as paper offerings, which is referred to as 燒衣.
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.
