gai1 zoeng3雞帳鸡帐
Jyutpinggai1 zoeng3
Yalegāi jeung
Definition
Money owed to another brothel for the hire or lending of prostitutes.
colloquialmoneypeople
How it's used
This term is highly specific to the historical and illicit sex industry in Hong Kong. It refers specifically to the debt incurred when a brothel 'borrows' or facilitates the service of a worker from another establishment. Using this word in polite company is extremely inappropriate as it carries a strong connotation of shady business and moral vice.
Measure word
tiu4條tìuhExamples
He owes a lot of money for prostitute services that he hasn't paid back yet.
When do you plan to settle this debt for prostitute services?
Related words
Common phrases
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a general term for debt, but it is strictly limited to the context of sex work and brothel transactions. It is not used for personal loans or business debts in any other industry.
Grammar color guide
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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).
