ke4 bok3 maa5騎膊馬骑膊马
Jyutpingke4 bok3 maa5
Yalekèh bok máh
Definition
To ride on someone's shoulders.
colloquialfamilydaily actions
How it's used
This term captures a specific, affectionate bonding activity between parents and children. It is almost exclusively used to describe a child sitting on an adult's shoulders, usually for fun or to get a better view at a crowded event. While it functions as a verb, it is often treated as a noun phrase in casual speech when describing the act itself.
Examples
When I was little, my dad would often carry me on his shoulders.
Related words
Common phrases
to play shoulder-ride
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 孭, which is the general verb for carrying someone on your back. 騎膊馬 specifically refers to the shoulder-riding position, not a standard piggyback ride.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
