sou3 mou6掃墓扫墓
Jyutpingsou3 mou6
Yalesou mouh
Definition
To sweep tombs; to visit and pay respects at the graves of ancestors or relatives, typically during the Qingming and Chung Yeung festivals.
neutralfestivalfamily
How it's used
Refers specifically to the act of clearing weeds and tidying up a grave site as a sign of respect. While the term is formal, it is frequently used in casual conversation when discussing holiday plans. It is often used interchangeably with 拜山, which is the more common, informal way to describe the entire process of visiting the cemetery.
Examples
Are you all going to visit the graves on the day of the Qingming Festival?
Our whole family went up the mountain to visit the graves and went for a hike while we were at it.
Related words
Common phrases
to go grave sweeping
grave sweeping during Qingming
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with simply visiting a cemetery for other reasons. It specifically implies the ritualistic act of paying respects to ancestors, so it sounds strange to use it if you are just visiting a grave to look at the architecture or history.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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Particle
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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.
