bou6 bing1步兵

Jyutpingbou6 bing1

Yalebouh bīng

名詞

Definition

Infantry; foot soldiers who fight on foot rather than on horseback or in vehicles.

colloquialworkpeople

How it's used

Beyond the literal military meaning, this term is frequently used in modern Hong Kong slang to describe delivery workers who travel on foot or by public transport rather than using a motorcycle. It carries a sense of physical exertion and manual labor compared to those who have faster, motorized means of transport. In casual conversation, it often highlights the difficulty of the job when someone has to walk long distances to deliver food or goods.

Measure word

go3個go

Examples

keoi5佢ji5以cin4前zou6做gwo3過bou6步bing1兵，hou2好ngaai4捱dak1得fu2苦㗎。

He used to be an infantryman, he can really endure hardship.

nei5你zi1知m4唔zi1知bou6步bing1兵hai6係dim2點joeng2樣fan3訓lin6練㗎？

Do you know how infantry soldiers are trained?

Common phrases

zou6做bou6步bing1兵

to work as an infantryman or foot courier

Common mistake

Do not confuse this with the slang term for a person who is constantly chasing after a romantic interest without success, which is sometimes also referred to as a foot soldier in a metaphorical sense.