GLOSSARY 01302011

Standard new year's wishes:
富貴長春 FU GWAI CHEUNG CHUN - Wealth, honour, and a long spring (youth).
年年有餘 NIEN NIEN YAU YU - Year after year surplus.
新年快樂 SAN NIEN FAAI LOK - New year happiness; happy new year.
歲歲平安 SEUI SEUI PENG ON - May you have peace year after year.
生意興隆 SANG YI HING LUNG - Thriving enterprise and prosperous business.
發財聚寶 FAT CHOI JEUI BOU - Strike it rich and amass treasures.
萬事如意 MAAN SI YIU YI - May all your aspirations be fulfilled.
身體健康 SAN TAI GIN HONG - May you have robust good health.
長命百歲 CHEUNG MENG BAAK SEUI - Long life one hundred years.
闔家全福 HAP GAA CHYUN FUK - Entire family complete happiness.


NEW YEARS EVE DINNER 年夜飯 nien yeh fan: "year evening meal".
FOOD FOR GOOD FORTUNE 吉祥美食 gat cheung mei sik: "lucky beautiful eats".


前程錦繡 CHIEN CHING GAM SAU - A bright and illustrious future: Assorted meats.
前 CHIEN = In front, forward. Before.
前程 CHIEN CHING = Forward agenda.
錦 GAM = Brocade. 繡 SAU = Embroidery. Elegant cloth; (often 鏽 is substituted because it sounds the same as 繡 and has the same radical as 錦 - it means to rust or corrode, and is not a wise choice of words).
秀 SAU = Flowering, elegant. Luxuriant. Graceful, refined.
錦繡 GAM SAU = Embroidery. Symbolic of rich garments and official robes.

合家團圓 HAP GAA TUEN YUEN – Entire family united: a sharkfin soup with bamboo shoots, scallops, seacucumber, abalone, chicken, ham, black mushrooms, quail eggs, and various vegetables. Same as 佛跳墙 FAT TIU CHEUNG (Buddha Jumps over the Wall).
合 HAP = Combine, unite.
家 GA = Family. Home.
團 TUEN = Mass, ball, lump.
圓 YUEN = Circle, round; complete.
合家 HAP GA = Entire family.
團圓 TUEN YUEN = Reunite; to have a reunion.

名利雙收 MENG LEI SEUNG SAU – Both fame & profit to come: Carps in casserole.
名 MENG = Name. Fame. Reputation.
利 LEI = Profit, advantage. Gain.
雙 SEUNG = Set of two. Couple, pair. Both.
收 SAU = Accept. Gather, receive. Harvest.

四喜臨門 SEI HEI LAM MUN – All happiness to the dwelling: Four large pork meatballs en casserole.
四 SEI = Four.
喜 HEI = Happy. Pleased, delighted. Enjoy.
臨 LAM = Approach.
門 MUN = Gate. Portal, doorway.

四海昇平 SEI HOI SING PENG – The whole world at peace: Cooked pigeon with white fungus.
四 SEI = Four.
海 HOI = Sea, ocean.
昇 SING = Ascend, rise.
平 PENG = Peaceful. Flat, level. Equitable.

好事發財 HO SI FAT CHOI - Good events and strike it rich: Dried oysters cooked with black moss (髮菜 fat choi - "hair vegetable") and often either fatty pork or pig's trotters - the latter more common among Hakka.
好 HO = Good. To love.
事 SI = Matter, affair. Incident.
發 FAT = Issue, send out. Occur, happen.
財 CHOI = Money, wealth.
發財 FAT CHOI = To get rich.

好事齊來 HO SI CHAI LOI – Looking forward to good business coming: Dried oyster and chopped vegetables served in lettuce leaves.
好 HO = Good. To love.
事 SI = Matter, affair. Incident.
齊 CHAI = Even, level, all together.
來 LOI = To come, to arrive.

富貴吉祥 FU GWAI GAT CHEUNG – Riches, honour, and good fortune: Chicken in a crust.
富貴 FU GWAI = Riches and honour.
吉 GAT = Propitious.
吉祥 GAT CHEUNG = Auspicious.
祥 CHEUNG = Good luck, happiness. Good omens.

富貴有餘 FU GWAI YAU YU - A surplus of riches and honour: Abalone in oyster sauce.
富 FU = Rich; abundance; wealthy.
貴 GWAI = Honour. Respect. Worthy of respect.
富貴 FU GWAI = Riches and honour.
有 YAU = Have.
餘 YU = Surplus. Extra.

年年有餘 NIEN NIEN YAU YU - Year after year surplus: Steamed whole fish.
年 NIEN = Year.
年年 NIEN NIEN = Yearly; year after year, every year.
有 YAU = Have. To possess. There is, there are.
餘 YU = Surplus.

柔情蜜意 YAU TSING MAI YI – Intimate affection, deep fondness: Honeyed ham.
柔 YAU = Soft, pliant; gentle.
情 TSING = Feeling, emotion. Sentiments.
蜜 MAT = Honey.
意 YI = Idea, intention; expect, anticipate.

洪福齊天 HUNG FUK CHAI TIEN - A flood of fortune fills the heavens. Good luck all around: Prawns and tofu in a rich tomato broth.
洪 HUNG = Immense. Flood.
福 FUK = Good fortune.
齊 CHAI = Even, level, all together.
天 TIEN = The sky, the heavens. Heaven. The deity. Day.

添丁添財 TIM DING TIM TSOI – Add both sons and wealth to the family: Chicken in wine.
添 TIM = Append, add, increase.
添丁 TIM DING = Add a son to the family.
丁 DING = Male, masculine, robust.
財 TSOI = Wealth, valuables, riches. Homophone with
才 = Talent, ability.

老少平安 LOU SIU PENG ON – Old and young together safe and sound: Steamed mashed shrimp and beancurd.
老 LOU = Old, long lived.
少 SIU = Few, less, inadequate. The young.
平 PENG = Flat, level. Peaceful.
安 ON = Tranquil, calm, quiet. Secure.
老少 = LOU SIU = The old and the young.
平安 PENG ON = Safe and sound.

金家福祿 KAM GAA FUK LUK – Happiness and good fortune for the whole family: Assorted meats in brown gravy.
金 KAM = Gold.
家 GAA = Family.
福 FUK = Good fortune, happiness.
祿 LUK = Good fortune, salary, official position, happiness, prosperity.

金枝玉葉 KAM KEI YUK YIP – Noble and refined: Shredded gonpoy and bright green vegetables with a savoury sauce.
金 KAM = Gold.
枝 KEI = Branch. Rod, stick.
玉 YUK = Jade. Gem.
葉 YIP = Leaf.

金錢滿掌 KAM CHIEN MUN JEUNG – Money filling the hands: Mushrooms braised with duck web.
金 KAM = Gold.
錢 CHIEN = Coin, money, currency.
滿 MUN = Fill, full, satisfied. Stuffed. Packed.
掌 JEUNG = Palm of hand, sole of foot. Paw.

鴛鴦並蒂 YUN YEUNG BING DAI – A couple growing old together gracefully: Dried black mushrooms and fresh champignons in oyster sauce.
鴛鴦 YIUN YEUNG = Mandarin ducks (a symbol of marital harmony).
並 BING = Equal to, compared with, side by side.
蒂 DAI = Peduncle or stem of plants.


NOTE: New year

PRISON ON FIRE

監獄風雲 gaam yuk fung wan
Link: PRISON ON FIRE SONG .
Blogpost


監獄風雲 gaam yuk fung wan: Prison on Fire. Movie directed by Ringo Lam, starring Chow Yunfat and Tony Leung, made in 1987.
監獄 gaam yuk: prison, gaol.
監 gaam: supervision, control.
獄 yuk: prison, gaol; lawsuit, legal case.
風 fung: wind, air. Atmosphere. Manners and mores.
雲 wan: cloud. Yunnan.
林嶺東 lam lingdung: Ringo Lam (b. 1955).
林 lam: forest, woods.
嶺 ling: mountain ridges.
東 dung: east.
周潤發 jau yuen faat: Chow Yunfat (b. 1955).
周 jau: circumference. Chou (Zhou) dynasty.
潤 yuen: soft, most, sleek, fresh.
發 faat: dispatch, issue, send forth. Achieve.
梁家輝 leung gaa fai: Tony Leung Ka-Fei.
梁 leung: bridge, beam, rafter.
家 gaa: family, household.
輝 fai: splendour. Shining upon.
張耀揚 jeung yiu yeung: Roy Cheung.
張 jeung: stretch, extend; sheet (of paper, etc.).
耀 yiu: shine, dazzle; glorious.
揚 yeung: scatter, spread; praise.


友誼之光 Yau yi ji gwong
The glow of friendship.

人生於世上有幾个知己
Yan-sang yu sai seung, yau gei ko chi kei ?
多少友誼能長存
To-sieu yau-yi nang cheung-chyun?
今日别離共你雙雙两握手
Kam-yat bit-lei gung ney seung-seung leung ak sau,
友誼常在你我心里
Yau-yi seung tsoi ney ngoh sam leui!

人生 yan sang: one's life.
於 yu: in, at, to, from, by.
世上 sai seung: on earth, in this world.
有 yau: have.
幾个 gei ko: how many, however many.
知己 chi kei: know oneself; intimate friend.
多少 do siu: a few, some; somewhat. How many?
友誼 yau yi: companionship, friendship.
能 nang: able to, can.
長存 cheung chyun: last forever.
今日 gam yat: today.
别 bit: leave, depart; distinguish.
離 lei: parting, leaving. To separate, go away.
共 hong: common, shared.
你 nei: you.
雙雙 seung seung: both, together with.
两 leung: two, both.
握手 ak sau: to shale hands.
友誼 yau yi: friendship, fellowship.
常 seung: always, frequently, often, constantly.
在 joi: in, at, on.
你我 nei ngoh: your and mine.
心里 sam leui: mind, heart; thoughts.



今天且要暫别
Kam-tien che yiu jaam-biet,
他朝也定能聚首
Ta-chiew ya deng nang jeui-sau;
縱使不能會面
Jung-si pat nang woei-min,
始終也是朋友
Chi-chung ya si pang-yau.

今天 kam tin: today, at present.
且 che: and, moreover, yet.
要 yiu: demand, require, request, want.
暫 jaam: temporarily.
别 bit: distinguish, separate, depart.
他朝 ta chiu: another dawn, a different time.
也 ya: also, too.
定能 ding nang: certainly be able to.
聚首 jeui sau: gather, meet.
縱使 jung si: though, despite, even if.
不能 pat nang: cannot, not able to. Must not.
會面 wui min: meet with; a meeting. See each other.
始終 chi jung: from beginning to end; beginning & finally.
也 ya.
是 si: is, are.
朋友 pang yau: friend.



說有萬里山
Sut yau man lei san,
隔阻兩地遙
Gak-jo leung tei yiew;
不需見面
Pat seui kien-min,
心中也知曉
Sam-tsong ya chi-hiew;
友誼改不了
Yau-yi goi pat liew.

說 seui: to persuade. Sut: to say, to speak.
有 yau: have.
萬里 man lei: far away; for ten thousand miles.
山 saan: mountains.
隔 gak: separate, partitioned.
阻 jo: hinderd, obstructed.
兩 leung: two, both.
地 dei: -ly, -ness. Earth, place. Field, ground.
遙 yiu: distant, remote, far off.
不 pat: no, not.
需 seui: require, need, want, must.
見面 kin min: see each other, meet (again).
心中 sam jung: in one's thoughts, within the heart.
也 ya: also, too.
知曉 chi hiu: to know, understand; comprehend daybreak, perceive clearly.
友誼 yau yi: friendship; companion-suitable.
改 goi: change alter, transform.
不了 pat liu: unable; without end.



肥媽瑪俐亞 fei maa Maria (fat momma Maria): Maria Cordero, Hong Kong singer born in Macau in 1954. Wrote song above, performed it in the movie and on stage.


NOTE: movies.