zi6 jyun2寺院
Jyutpingzi6 jyun2
Yalejih yún
Definition
Temple or monastery; a religious building used by Buddhist or other clergy for worship and spiritual practice.
neutralplaces
How it's used
Refers specifically to Buddhist or sometimes Taoist religious complexes, carrying a more formal or architectural tone than the everyday term 廟. While 廟 is often associated with local folk religion and smaller neighborhood shrines, 寺院 implies a larger, more structured institution where monks reside and practice.
Measure word
gaan1間gānExamples
This temple is very famous, many people go there to pay respects.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often use 寺院 for any place of worship, but it is specifically reserved for Buddhist or monastic settings. For smaller, local shrines or places dedicated to folk deities, 廟 is the far more natural and common choice.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
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Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
