faan1 syu2 bing1番薯兵
Jyutpingfaan1 syu2 bing1
Yalefāan syú bīng
Definition
Criminals from Mainland China who travel to Hong Kong or Macau to commit crimes.
slangpeopleslang
How it's used
This term is a highly derogatory and dated slang used to refer to criminals who enter Hong Kong specifically to commit theft or robbery. It reflects a specific historical context from the late 20th century when cross border crime was a major public concern. Using this term today can sound offensive or politically charged, so it is best avoided in polite conversation.
Examples
I heard those criminals from the Mainland were arrested by the police.
Be careful, I heard there are criminals from the Mainland lurking in this area.
Related words
Common phrases
to catch criminals from the Mainland
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the literal meaning of sweet potato, which is also called 番薯. The term is exclusively used as a disparaging label for criminals and is not a neutral way to describe people from the Mainland.
Grammar color guide
Noun
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Adjective
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Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
