• As the Mandarin term “死” (die) is a cultural taboo among the Chinese community, they often use different terms such as “老了”, “去世”, “谢世”, “百年” and “过世” as substitutes for the term.
• Similarly, the Mandarin term “寿” in “寿板” is also a euphemism for death and can be used to describe items related to the deceased. For example, coffins are known as “寿板” or “寿材”, clothes for the deceased are known as “寿衣”, and graves are known as “寿坟”.
• The Mandarin term “板” has a similar meaning to “材” , but the term “寿板” is more commonly used in Singapore.

The funeral of the casket shop’s director’s wife was grand, featuring flower fairies, teams of drummers and big-headed dolls. The crying-faced dolls wept for 45 minutes in the mourning hall, and the huge funeral procession attracted the attention of the residents. (Lianhe Zaobao, 24/10/2019)

寿材、寿木 (Mainland China)