bou3 ging2報警报警
Jyutpingbou3 ging2
Yalebou gíng
Definition
To call the police or report an incident to the police.
colloquialdaily actions
How it's used
This verb is strictly reserved for contacting law enforcement authorities regarding crimes or emergencies. It is frequently used as a threat in interpersonal conflicts to signal that a boundary has been crossed. Unlike more general reporting verbs, it carries a sense of urgency and official escalation.
Examples
It looks like there is a fight nearby, call the police quickly.
Related words
Common phrases
to call the police
Common mistake
Do not use this to mean reporting news or filing a report at a workplace, as it specifically implies police involvement.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
