baa3 wong4霸王
Jyutpingbaa3 wong4
Yaleba wòhng
Definition
Overlord, despot, or bully; also used to describe a customer who uses a service and refuses to pay.
- overlord, tyrant, or bully who uses force or power to dominate others
- slanga person who consumes goods or services and refuses to pay
colloquialpeoplemoney
How it's used
Beyond the literal meaning of a tyrant or bully, this term is frequently used in the compound 霸王餐 to describe the act of dining and dashing. It carries a strong sense of entitlement and unfairness, often implying that someone is taking advantage of a situation without fulfilling their obligations. It is also used as a prefix in modern contexts to describe unauthorized or free-riding behavior, such as 霸王車 for taking a taxi without paying.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
He is always bullying people at school, he is such a despot.
You finished your meal without paying, are you trying to dine and dash?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the English word bully as a verb; 霸王 is a noun, so you cannot say 佢霸王我 to mean he bullies me. Instead, use the verb phrase 蝦蝦霸霸 to describe the act of bullying.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
