Definition

Noun: 1. Policeman (in a capitalist or colonial context): A member of a police force, specifically used historically or in reference to police in capitalist or colonial countries. The term often carries a connotation of a force used for maintaining order, sometimes through oppression. 2. Gendarme: A police officer, particularly one belonging to a national or military police force in certain countries.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Lực lượng cảnh binh được điều đến để giải tán đám đông. (The police force was dispatched to disperse the crowd.)
  • Trong thời kỳ thuộc địa, cảnh binh thường được dùng để đàn áp các cuộc biểu tình. (During the colonial period, gendarmes were often used to suppress protests.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "cảnh binh" is less common in contemporary Vietnamese when referring to modern police forces in a neutral context. It is more frequently found in historical, literary, or political texts to describe police in specific (often non-socialist) systems. Using it to refer to a policeman in modern Vietnam might sound dated or carry unintended political nuance.
• "Lực lượng cảnh binh": The police force; the gendarmerie.

Variants and Related Words

• Cảnh sát (noun): Police, policeman. This is the standard, neutral, and contemporary term for police in modern Vietnamese.
• Công an (noun): Public security officer; police. This is the official term used in Vietnam for its police and public security forces.
• Mật thám / Cảnh sát mật (noun): Detective; secret police.

Synonyms

• Policeman: Cảnh sát, công an.
• Gendarme: Hiến binh (less common).
• Officer: Viên chức, sĩ quan (context-dependent).

Related Phrases / Compound Words

• Đồn cảnh binh: Police station (in a capitalist/colonial context).
• Trưởng đồn cảnh binh: Police station chief.

Related Idioms

• No common idioms specifically use "cảnh binh". Related concepts about police or authority might use "cảnh sát" or "công an" instead.

noun

1. Policeman