zik1 jam1 gung1積陰功积阴功
Jyutpingzik1 jam1 gung1
Yalejīk yām gūng
Definition
To perform good deeds secretly to accumulate virtue and spiritual merit.
colloquialpeopleother
How it's used
Refers to the traditional belief that performing secret good deeds without seeking recognition will bring blessings to one's future or descendants. Unlike general charity, the focus is on the anonymity of the act. It is often used to praise someone who is consistently kind or to encourage someone to be more altruistic.
Examples
He helps people all the time, he is really accumulating merit.
You should accumulate more merit, it will be good for you too.
Common phrases
to accumulate secret merit
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).
