bin3 soeng3 gung1 tau4變相公投变相公投

Jyutpingbin3 soeng3 gung1 tau4

Yalebin seung gūng tàuh

Definition

Disguised referendum; a de facto referendum.

colloquialother

How it's used

Used primarily in political discourse to describe an election where the outcome is interpreted as a proxy for public opinion on a specific, often controversial, issue. It implies that while the official purpose of the event is something else, the underlying intent is to gauge voter sentiment on a broader topic. The term carries a critical or analytical tone, suggesting that the event is being manipulated or repurposed for a different agenda.

Examples

keoi5佢dei6哋gaau2搞le1呢coeng4場syun2選geoi2舉，kei4其sat6實hai6係bin3變soeng3相gung1公tau4投lai2嚟㗎。

The election they are holding is actually a de facto referendum.

nei5你gok3覺dak1得gam1今ci3次tau4投piu3票syun3算m4唔syun3算hai6係bin3變soeng3相gung1公tau4投aa4呀？

Do you think this vote counts as a de facto referendum?

Common phrases

gaau2搞bin3變soeng3相gung1公tau4投

to hold a de facto referendum

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for a literal referendum, but it specifically refers to an event that is not officially a referendum but functions as one in practice. Avoid using it to describe actual, government-sanctioned referendums.