zap1 faat3執法执法
Jyutpingzap1 faat3
Yalejāp faat
Definition
To enforce the law; to ensure compliance, and deter, arrest, and prosecute those who break it.
neutralwork
How it's used
This term is formal and primarily used in news reports, legal discussions, or when referring to the official duties of police officers. It carries a sense of authority and institutional power that makes it sound unnatural in casual, personal conversation. When people talk about police work in everyday life, they usually just say 捉人 or 做嘢.
Examples
When police are enforcing the law on the street, you need to cooperate.
Is the way they are enforcing the law really fair?
Related words
Common phrases
law enforcement officer
enforce the law strictly and impartially
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe someone following rules in their personal life, such as a parent enforcing house rules on a child. It is strictly reserved for official legal or governmental enforcement.
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.
