fong3 gwai3 lei2放貴利放贵利
Jyutpingfong3 gwai3 lei2
Yalefong gwai léi
Definition
To practice usury; to lend money at an extremely high rate of interest.
colloquialmoney
How it's used
This term carries a strong criminal connotation and is almost exclusively associated with illegal lending operations. It is often used interchangeably with the noun 大耳窿 which refers to the loan shark themselves. The practice is socially condemned and carries severe legal consequences in Hong Kong.
Examples
He was arrested for practising usury.
Related words
Common phrases
to borrow money at a high interest rate
to chase for repayment of high-interest loans
Common mistake
Do not confuse the act of lending money at high interest with standard banking loans. Using this term to describe a bank or a legitimate financial institution is incorrect and implies criminal activity.
Grammar color guide
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Adjective
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Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
