haau1 zaa3敲詐敲诈
Jyutpinghaau1 zaa3
Yalehāau ja
Definition
To extort or blackmail using violence or intimidation.
colloquialmoneypeople
How it's used
Carries a strong negative connotation of illegal or immoral activity involving coercion. It is frequently used in news reports or when discussing criminal behavior, but can also be used figuratively in casual speech to describe someone who is being unreasonably demanding or greedy.
Examples
He is always extorting pocket money from his classmates.
Don't let yourself be blackmailed, call the police quickly.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 勒索, which is a more formal legal term often used in official contexts. 敲詐 specifically emphasizes the act of 'knocking' or 'tapping' someone for money, implying a persistent or predatory pressure.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
