sap6 zi6 ce1十字車十字车

Jyutpingsap6 zi6 ce1

Yalesahp jih chē

名詞

Definition

Ambulance; a rescue vehicle formerly marked with a red cross.

colloquialtransporthealth

How it's used

The term originates from the historical practice of painting a red cross on the side of emergency vehicles. While 救護車 is the standard term used in formal settings and news reports, 十字車 remains the most common way to refer to an ambulance in daily spoken Cantonese. It is a classic example of a colloquialism that has become the default word for many native speakers.

Measure word

gaa3架ga

Examples

faai3快di1啲daa2打din6電waa2話giu3叫sap6十zi6字ce1車aa4呀，jau5有jan4人wan4暈zo2咗。

Call an ambulance quickly, someone has fainted.

nei5你gin3見dou2到go2嗰gaa3架sap6十zi6字ce1車hai6係mai6咪heoi3去gan2緊ji1醫jyun2院？

Is that ambulance you see heading to the hospital?

Common phrases

giu3叫sap6十zi6字ce1車

to call an ambulance

daap6搭sap6十zi6字ce1車

to take an ambulance

Common mistake

Do not use this term in formal writing or official documents, as it is strictly colloquial. Stick to 救護車 when writing reports or communicating in professional contexts.