cảnh sát

Vietnamese

Etymology

Sino-Vietnamese word from 警察, from Japanese 警察 (keisatsu, “police”).

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [kajŋ̟˧˩ saːt̚˧˦]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [kɛɲ˧˨ ʂaːk̚˦˧˥] ~ [kɛɲ˧˨ saːk̚˦˧˥]
• (Saigon) IPA^(key): [kan˨˩˦ ʂaːk̚˦˥] ~ [kan˨˩˦ saːk̚˦˥]

Noun

cảnh sát

1. (Overseas Vietnamese or chiefly law) the police
2. (only in compounds) police

   cảnh sát phòng cháy / chữa cháy ― the firefighting "police"; fireperson; firefighter

   đồn cảnh sát ― police station

   xe cảnh sát ― police car

3. (only in compounds) a police officer

   Synonym: phí lít (slang, dated)

   cảnh sát trưởng ― an American sheriff

Usage notes

In Vietnam, law enforcement forces and officers of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the People's Republic of China are referred to as công an (“public security”) but rarely as cảnh sát in common parlance outside of fixed compounds. Equivalent institutions in other countries are referred to as cảnh sát, both by speakers in Vietnam and overseas. Cảnh sát also refers to various branches of the public security forces in Vietnam.

Derived terms

• cảnh sát biển - coast guard
• cảnh sát cơ động - mobile police
• cảnh sát giao thông - traffic police
• cảnh sát trưởng (警察長) - an American sheriff

 

See also

• công an
• cớm; cảnh; ông can
• sen đầm