seoi2 maa5水馬水马
Jyutpingseoi2 maa5
Yaleséui máh
Definition
Water barrier; a water-filled plastic road barrier used for traffic control, crowd control, or roadworks.
colloquialtransportplaces
How it's used
Originally designed for traffic management, this term became synonymous with public order policing in Hong Kong during periods of civil unrest. It is common to hear people describe the deployment of these barriers around government buildings or protest sites. The word specifically refers to the hollow plastic shells that are filled with water to provide stability.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
There are many water barriers placed in front, the road must be closed.
Do you see where that pile of water barriers is?
Related words
Common phrases
to set up water barriers
a line or formation of water barriers
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.
