san4 taam3神探
Jyutpingsan4 taam3
Yalesàhn taam
Definition
An exceptionally skilled, master detective with a high rate of solving cases.
colloquialpeopledescriptions
How it's used
Reserved almost exclusively for fictional characters or people with an uncanny, almost supernatural ability to solve crimes. It carries a slightly hyperbolic or dramatic tone, often used when someone makes a surprisingly accurate deduction in daily life. You will rarely hear this used to describe a real-life police officer in a professional or news context.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
He is so good at solving cases, he is simply a master detective.
Related words
Common phrases
a detective who solves cases like a genius
Common mistake
Do not use this to refer to a regular police officer or a private investigator, as it implies a level of genius or legendary status that sounds sarcastic or overly cinematic in normal conversation.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
