coeng4 mou4 caak6長毛賊长毛贼
Jyutpingcoeng4 mou4 caak6
Yalechèuhng mòuh chaahk
Definition
Long-haired bandit; a historical derogatory slang term for the participants of the Taiping Rebellion.
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How it's used
Historically, this term was a derogatory label used by the Qing government and loyalists to dehumanize the Taiping rebels, who famously refused to follow the Manchu queue hairstyle. It carries a strong sense of bias and is strictly used when discussing historical events or academic contexts. It is not a term used to describe actual thieves in modern society.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
History books say people used to call them long-haired thieves.
Why did people back then call the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom the long-haired thieves?
Related words
Common phrases
the Taiping Rebellion
Common mistake
Do not use this term to describe someone with long hair in modern Hong Kong, as it is strictly a historical label for the Taiping rebels and would be confusing or offensive if applied to a contemporary person.
Grammar color guide
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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.
