co5 gaam1坐監坐监
Jyutpingco5 gaam1
Yalechóh gāam
Definition
To serve a prison sentence; to be in prison.
colloquialpeople
How it's used
This term is the standard colloquial way to refer to serving a prison sentence. It is used as a verb phrase where the object is implied, so you do not need to add a noun after it. It carries a slightly informal tone compared to the formal legal term 服刑.
Examples
He broke the law, how long does he have to be in prison?
I heard he is currently in prison, I haven't seen him for a long time.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with being arrested, which is being 拉. You can be arrested without going to prison, so use 拉 for the act of being taken by police and 坐監 for the act of serving the sentence.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
