dai3 zai3帝制
Jyutpingdai3 zai3
Yaledai jai
Definition
Monarchy; an autocratic political system where all power is concentrated in a single ruler.
neutralother
How it's used
Refers specifically to a political system where power is concentrated in a single monarch, often carrying a historical or academic tone. It is rarely used in casual conversation unless discussing history or political theory. When talking about modern constitutional monarchies, other terms like 君主立憲制 are more appropriate.
Examples
History books say that it used to be a monarchy.
Why did some people want to restore the monarchy back then?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe a modern democratic country with a king or queen, as it implies absolute power rather than a ceremonial role.
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.
