saam1 gwan1三軍三军
Jyutpingsaam1 gwan1
Yalesāam gwān
Definition
The armed forces; a general term for the military.
neutralother
How it's used
Refers to the collective military branches, mirroring the historical division of left, center, and right armies. Modern usage typically aligns with the navy, army, and air force. It carries a formal or grand tone, often appearing in news reports or discussions about national defense.
Examples
The power of the commander-in-chief of the armed forces is immense.
All branches of their armed forces were deployed for disaster relief.
Related words
Common phrases
commander-in-chief of the armed forces
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.
