Cantonese vocabulary: All about firefighters
I realize that I’m essentially reproducing Cantonese phrasebooks as I was putting together the following list shortly after feeling the inspiration. I had just borrowed Little Critter: Going to the Firehouse and want to shore up on that vocabulary that has been missing. What to call fire hydrants that we see when we go for walks and I’ve refrained from pointing them out because I don’t know the Chinese word? Am I using the correct verbs for burning fire and extinguishing and fighting fires?
I like to think that my lists add value in some way to the noise on the Internet. And if not, it necessary for me to go through this process to internalize just a few of the words!
| Word | Character | Pronunciation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attire | |||
| jacket | 襖 | ao3 | I've always thought it was "lao"! |
| helmet | 消防帽 | siu1 fong4 mou6*2 | "firefighting HAT" |
| 消防頭盔 | siu1 fong4 tau4 kwai1 | "firefighting head helmet" | |
| boots | 靴 | hoe1 | |
| gloves | 手套 | sau2 tou3 | |
| goggles | 安全眼鏡 | on1 cyun4 ngaan5 geng3 | "safety glasses" |
| badge | 章 | zoeng1 | |
| Equipment | |||
| axe | 斧頭 | fu2 tau4*2 | |
| mask | 消防面具 | siu1 fong4 min6 geoi6 | "firefighting face cover" |
| sand bucket | 滅火沙桶 | mit6 fo2 saa1 tung2 | |
| oxygen | 氧氣 | joeng5 hei3 | |
| ladder | 騮梯 | lau4*1 tai1 | this is what I've called it all my life but it's not an official version |
| walkie talkie | 步聽機 | bou6 teng1 gei1 | "step listen machine" |
| Miscellaneous | |||
| fire truck | 救火車 | gau3 fo2 ce1 | the one I heavily use - thank goodness it's a real word |
| 消防車 | siu1 fong4 ce1 | ||
| 火燭車 | fo2 zuk1 ce1 | ||
| fire department | 消防處 | siu1 fong4 cyu3 | |
| fire station | 消防局 | siu1 fong4 guk6 | fire BUREAU/OFFICE |
| 消防站 | siu1 fong4 zaam6 | fire STATION | |
| dalmation | 斑點狗 | baan1 dim2 gau2 | "'zebra' spotted dog" |
| fire extinguisher | 滅火筒 | mit6 fo2 tung4*2 | |
| fire hydrant | 消防龍頭 | siu1 fong4 lung4 tau4 | "fire fighting dragon head" - I like this one! |
| 街井 | gaai1 zeng2 | "street (water) well" | |
| 消防栓 | siu1 fong4 saan1 | sounds like "firefighting mountain" | |
| * fire hydrant valve | 消防栓出水口 | siu1 fong4 saan1 ceot1 seoi2 hau2 | "fire hydrant water exit" |
| fire hose | 消防水龍 | siu1 fong4 seoi2 lung4 | "firefighting water dragon" |
| 滅火喉 | mit6 fo2 hau4 | ||
| 消防喉 | siu1 fong4 hau4 | ||
| fire alarm | 警報 / 火警 | ging2 bou3 / fo2 ging2 | |
| 火警鐘 | fo2 ging2 zung1 | "fire report bell" | |
| fire escape | 走火通道 | zau2 fo2 tung1 dou6 | "escape fire route" |
| fire exit | 安全門 | on1 cyun4 mun4 | "safety door" |
| 太平門 | taai3 ping4 mun4 | "peace? door" | |
| Verbs | |||
| light a fire | 點火 | dim2 fo2 | |
| set fire (arson) | 放火 | fong3 fo2 | "put fire" |
| catch fire | 着火 | zoek6 fo2 | |
| 火燭 | fo2 zuk1 | ||
| 失火 | sat1 fo2 | sounds to me like "lose fire" | |
| fight fire | 消防 | siu1 fong4 | |
| 救火 | gau3 fo2 | "rescue fire" | |
| extinguish, die out | 熄滅 | sik1 mit6 | |
| People | |||
| firefighter | 消防員 | siu1 fong4 jyun4z | |
| 救火 人 | gau3 fo2 jan4 | I might have made this one up, it wasn't in the dictionary | |