bei6 bou6被捕
Jyutpingbei6 bou6
Yalebeih bouh
Definition
To be arrested; to be taken into custody by law enforcement and lose one's freedom.
neutralother
How it's used
While 被捕 is widely understood, it is primarily a formal term used in news reports or legal contexts. In everyday spoken Cantonese, people almost exclusively use the verb 拉 to describe an arrest. Using 被捕 in casual conversation can sound overly dramatic or like you are reading a newspaper headline aloud.
Examples
He was arrested by someone on the street last night.
I heard that the thief has been arrested by the police.
Related words
Common phrases
arrested on the spot
Common mistake
Learners often treat 被捕 as a direct equivalent to the English passive voice, but it sounds unnatural in casual speech. Stick to using 拉, such as 俾人拉咗, for natural daily communication.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
