gaam1 gam3監禁监禁
Jyutpinggaam1 gam3
Yalegāam gam
Definition
To imprison or put in jail; to deprive a criminal of freedom as a form of punishment.
neutralother
How it's used
Refers specifically to the legal act of incarceration within a formal judicial system. While it shares the meaning of being locked up with 坐監, 監禁 carries a much more formal and serious tone suitable for news reports or legal discussions. Use 坐監 when speaking casually about someone being in jail.
Examples
He was sentenced to ten years in prison for breaking the law.
Will the judge sentence him to life imprisonment?
Related words
Common phrases
life imprisonment
Common mistake
Do not use this word to describe being stuck in a room or a small space, as that would be better expressed with 困住 or 韞住. 監禁 implies a state-sanctioned deprivation of liberty.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
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- 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).
