Singaporean Mandarin Database
This database contains a collection of Mandarin terms which have cultural, historical or sentimental value unique to Singapore. These terms may be used by Singaporeans in the past or at present. Some of the terms are read in print while others are used in our everyday conversations.
road-sweeper
Categories
DEFINITIONNoun
A worker who cleans public places.
由来
- “清道夫”是一个文言词，旧指帝王大官外出时，负责清除道路、驱逐行人的人，如今则用于指清扫街道的清洁工人。
- “清道夫”一词也是足球比赛拖后中卫的别称，也能用来指一种能吃掉鱼缸里的垃圾的鱼。
ETYMOLOGY
- “清道夫” is a classical Chinese term. In olden days it referred to people whose job was to clear the path and drive away pedestrians to make way for royalty and officials when they were out in public. Today, it is used to refer to workers who clean the streets.
- The term can also refer to sweepers in soccer games and a kind of fish that eats up waste in a fish tank.
例句我们要保持环境卫生，不要增加清道夫的工作。（《联合早报》， 14/9/2011）
SAMPLE SENTENCEWe must do our part to keep the environment clean, so as not to increase the workload of the road-sweepers. (Lianhe Zaobao, 14/9/2011)
TERMS USED IN OTHER REGIONS环卫工人 (Mainland China)
