dei6 bou2地保
Jyutpingdei6 bou2
Yaledeih bóu
Definition
A local constable or neighborhood peacekeeper in imperial China.
datedpeopleplaces
How it's used
Refers to a historical figure who acted as a mediator and local authority in rural villages, often serving as a bridge between the villagers and the government. While the term is largely obsolete in modern urban Hong Kong, it appears frequently in period dramas or when discussing traditional village customs. It carries a sense of colonial or pre-modern administrative power that no longer exists in the current legal system.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
In the past, local constables loved to collect protection money.
Related words
Common phrases
local constable collecting money
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with modern police officers, as the role was more about local community oversight and tax collection rather than formal law enforcement. Using it to describe a contemporary police officer will sound extremely strange or mocking.
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.
