民警

• Pinyin: mín jǐng
• Hanzi breakdown: 民 = people/civilian; 警 = 敬 (respect) + 言 (speech), to warn/alert, police. Civilian police officer.

Meaning

Police officer; civil police; a member of the People's Police.

Short for 人民警察 (People's Police). The standard term for regular police officers in China, as opposed to armed police (武警) or traffic police (交警). Used both formally and colloquially to refer to officers who handle everyday law enforcement, community safety, and civilian matters.

Examples

1. 社区民警每天都会在小区里巡逻，居民们都很信任他。 The community police officer patrols the neighborhood every day, and the residents all trust him.
2. 那位民警帮助走失的老人找到了回家的路。 That police officer helped a lost elderly person find their way home.
3. 遇到危险时，第一时间要拨打110联系民警。 In case of danger, call 110 immediately to contact the police.

Usage Guide

Context: law enforcement, community, safety

Tone: respectful

Do Say

• 民警同志，请问派出所怎么走？(Officer, could you tell me how to get to the police station?)
• 民警很快赶到了现场。(The police officer arrived at the scene quickly.)

Don't Say

• 用民警指代武装警察 (民警 is civilian police, not 武警 armed police)

Origin & History

Compound of 民 (people/civilian) + 警 (police/alert). Police serving the civilian population.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal