zou3 gwan1灶君
Jyutpingzou3 gwan1
Yalejou gwān
Definition
The Kitchen God, the deity in Chinese mythology in charge of the kitchen and food.
neutralfestivalpeople
How it's used
Traditionally, families offer sweet or sticky foods like malt sugar to the Kitchen God before the Lunar New Year. The belief is that by sweetening his mouth, he will report only good things about the household to the Jade Emperor. It is a deeply cultural figure that serves as a moral monitor for family conduct within the home.
Measure word
wai6位waihExamples
Tomorrow is the Kitchen God's birthday, remember to prepare some offerings.
Do you know who the Kitchen God is, the deity in charge of the kitchen?
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Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- 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.
