wan2 po4穩婆稳婆
Jyutpingwan2 po4
Yalewán pòh
Definition
Midwife; an old term for a woman who helps deliver babies.
datedpeoplehealth
How it's used
This term refers specifically to traditional midwives who practiced before modern hospital-based obstetrics became the standard in Hong Kong. It carries a strong historical or nostalgic connotation and is rarely used to describe modern medical professionals. You will mostly encounter it in period dramas or when older generations talk about how babies were born in the past.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
Did people back then use midwives to deliver babies?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not use this to refer to a modern midwife, as it sounds archaic and potentially disrespectful. Use 助產士 for a trained, contemporary medical professional.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
