pun4 caa4盤查盘查
Jyutpingpun4 caa4
Yalepùhn chàh
Definition
To interrogate or question and investigate, typically by police or military forces.
neutralworkpeople
How it's used
This term carries a formal and authoritative tone, typically used in news reports or when describing official police procedures. It implies a structured, systematic questioning process rather than just a casual conversation with an officer. In everyday speech, people often use simpler verbs like 查問 or 問話 to describe being stopped by the police.
Examples
The police are interrogating several suspicious people on the street.
Why are you being interrogated by the police?
Related words
Common phrases
to conduct an interrogation
to refuse interrogation
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with general questioning. Remember that 盤查 specifically implies an official, often coercive, investigative context involving law enforcement, making it inappropriate for describing normal social interactions or casual inquiries.
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.
