救傷車 / 救伤车
gau³ soeng¹ ce¹
The Cantonese word for ambulance is 救傷車 / 救伤车 (gau³ soeng¹ ce¹). Wiktionary also lists 白車 / 白车 (baak⁶ ce¹) and 救護車 / 救护车 (gau³ wu⁶ ce¹).
Meaning: emergency vehicle (noun)
Ways to say it
| Cantonese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 救傷車 / 救伤车 | gau³ soeng¹ ce¹ |
| 白車 / 白车 | baak⁶ ce¹ |
| 救護車 / 救护车 | gau³ wu⁶ ce¹ |
| 十字車 / 十字车 | sap⁶ zi⁶ ce¹ |
What does it mean word for word?
The term 救傷車 / 救伤车 (gau³ soeng¹ ce¹) literally means 'save injury vehicle', while 救護車 / 救护车 (gau³ wu⁶ ce¹) literally means 'rescue/protect vehicle'.
Which one should you use?
救傷車 / 救伤车 is a common way to refer to an ambulance. However, 救護車 / 救护车 is the more formal and standard term used in official contexts or news reports.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The term 救護車 / 救护车 is used in Hong Kong.
How do you pronounce it?
gau³ soeng¹ ce¹
Did you know?
- The term 十字車 / 十字车 refers to the 'cross' symbol on the vehicle. In Cantonese, 十字 /sap6 zi6 literally means 'ten characters', which is the common way to describe a cross shape.
- While English speakers use 'ambulance' from the Latin word for 'to walk', Cantonese terms focus entirely on the action of 'saving' or 'protecting' the patient.
- The term 白車 / 白车, meaning 'white car', is sometimes used as slang for an ambulance. This refers to the traditional white color of the vehicles before more colorful high-visibility markings became standard.
Examples in context
- 救護車 (gau3 wu6 ce1) 快啲嚟 (faai3 di1 lei4)Ambulance, please come quickly!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ambulance” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
