gong1 wu4 lou2江湖佬
Jyutpinggong1 wu4 lou2
Yalegōng wùh lóu
Definition
A charlatan, swindler, or itinerant performer who lives by their wits; a gangster.
- an itinerant performer, quack doctor, or fortune teller who lives by their wits
- a member of the criminal underworld; a gangster
colloquialpeople
How it's used
Refers specifically to someone involved in the criminal underworld or triad society, carrying a strong sense of street-level toughness. It often implies a lack of formal education or a rough, unrefined background. While it can be used to describe actual criminals, it is sometimes used jokingly to describe someone who acts like a tough guy or has a shady demeanor.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
He hangs out with gangsters all the time.
Why are you talking to that gangster?
Related words
Common phrases
gangster-like vibe
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe a professional criminal or a high-ranking mafia boss, as it carries a more colloquial and somewhat dismissive tone that fits street-level figures better.
Grammar color guide
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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.
