wong4 cyun4黃泉黄泉
Jyutpingwong4 cyun4
Yalewòhng chyùhn
Definition
The underworld or netherworld; the realm of the dead.
colloquialpeople
How it's used
This term carries a heavy, literary, and often somber tone, making it unsuitable for casual conversation about death. It is frequently used in idioms or dramatic contexts to describe the finality of passing away. Unlike the more neutral term 過身, using this word implies a sense of finality or a journey into the unknown.
Examples
He has already passed away, let's not bring it up again.
Do people really go to the underworld after they die?
Related words
Common phrases
the road to the underworld
to descend into the underworld
Common mistake
Avoid using this in professional or medical contexts as it sounds overly dramatic or superstitious. It is strictly a literary or metaphorical term and should not be used as a direct synonym for death in everyday speech.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- 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.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
