bok3 laai1搏拉
Jyutpingbok3 laai1
Yalebok lāai
Definition
To run the risk of arrest; to intentionally do something illegal that could get oneself arrested.
colloquialother
How it's used
Focuses specifically on the act of engaging in illegal activity despite the high probability of police intervention. It carries a sense of recklessness or desperation, implying that the person is aware of the consequences but chooses to proceed anyway. It is rarely used in formal contexts and is mostly heard in casual warnings or when describing criminal behavior.
Examples
Don't go risking arrest, it'll be a huge hassle if you get caught.
To make quick money, he actually risked arrest by doing illegal things.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 搏命, which means to risk one's life or work extremely hard. While both involve taking risks, 搏拉 is strictly tied to legal trouble and potential arrest.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
