ham6 dau6冚竇冚窦
Jyutpingham6 dau6
Yalehahm dauh
Definition
To raid premises where illegal activities are suspected.
colloquialother
How it's used
Originating from the slang term 竇 which refers to a den or hideout, this verb specifically describes the act of police breaking into such locations to catch people in the act. It carries a strong sense of suddenness and authority, often used in news reports or when describing criminal crackdowns. The term implies that the location was being used as a secret base for illicit activities.
Examples
The police raided that bar last night.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with general police inspections or routine patrols, as it specifically implies a targeted raid on a hidden or illegal operation.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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Particle
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Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
