daai6 caai1大差
Jyutpingdaai6 caai1
Yaledaaih chāai
Definition
A large force of police officers.
colloquialpeopleslang
How it's used
Refers specifically to a visible, often intimidating presence of police officers in a public space. It carries a slightly informal or street-level tone, often used when people are surprised or concerned by a sudden police deployment. It is not used to refer to an individual officer, but rather the collective force or a large group gathered together.
Examples
A large group of police suddenly showed up at the door, it was terrifying.
Why is the whole street full of police?
Related words
Common phrases
a large group of police
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the Mandarin term 大差, which means a big difference or discrepancy. In Cantonese, this is strictly a slang term for police and has nothing to do with measurements or comparisons.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- 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.
