zou6 dai6皂隸皂隶
Jyutpingzou6 dai6
Yalejouh daih
Definition
Yamen runners; lower-ranking runners or servants in a government office in imperial China.
datedpeoplework
How it's used
Refers specifically to low ranking government functionaries or runners in imperial China, often associated with corruption or bullying commoners. It is never used to describe modern civil servants, who are referred to as 公務員. Using this term today carries a strong historical or derogatory nuance, implying someone is a petty, power tripping official.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
In the past, those civil servants really liked to take bribes.
Related words
Common phrases
corrupt officials
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a general term for government employees, but it is strictly a historical term for low level yamen staff. Using it to describe a modern office worker will sound extremely bizarre or insulting.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
