fung1 can4 zung1 jan4風塵中人风尘中人
Jyutpingfung1 can4 zung1 jan4
Yalefūng chàhn jūng yàhn
Definition
Someone who works in the sex industry or nightlife, such as a prostitute or a nightclub hostess.
colloquialpeople
How it's used
Carries a literary and slightly euphemistic tone, often used to describe someone working in the sex or adult entertainment industry with a sense of tragic fate or social marginalization. It is rarely used in direct, casual conversation to address someone, as it can sound judgmental or overly dramatic. The term implies a life of drifting through the world of pleasure and vice.
Examples
She used to work in the nightlife industry, it was very tough.
Related words
Common phrases
to fall into a life of prostitution
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe any casual nightclub worker or bartender, as it specifically carries connotations of sex work or adult entertainment. It is a formal or literary descriptor that sounds out of place in most everyday, lighthearted social settings.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
