gwong1 gwan3光棍
Jyutpinggwong1 gwan3
Yalegwōng gwan
Definition
A fraudster or con artist; also used to refer to an older bachelor or single man.
- a fraudster, trickster, or con artist
- a bachelor or older single man who has not yet married
colloquialpeople
How it's used
Beyond the meaning of a swindler, this term is frequently used to describe a man who is single or unmarried, often implying he is past the typical age for marriage. When used in this sense, it carries a slightly self-deprecating or teasing tone rather than a malicious one. Context is essential to distinguish between a criminal and a bachelor.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
That con-artist cheated me out of ten thousand dollars.
Don't trust him, he is a well-known fraudster.
Related words
Common phrases
damn swindler / pathetic bachelor
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with the Mandarin usage where it almost exclusively refers to a bachelor. In Cantonese, the criminal connotation is very strong and common, so using it to describe a single friend might be interpreted as calling them a crook if the tone is not lighthearted.
Grammar color guide
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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.
