hang4 hat1行乞
Jyutpinghang4 hat1
Yalehàhng hāt
Definition
To beg for food or money on the street as a means of survival.
neutralpeoplemoney
How it's used
This term is formal and carries a slightly detached or descriptive tone, often used in news reports or when discussing social issues. In casual daily conversation, people are much more likely to use the verb 乞食 to describe the act of begging, though 乞食 can also be used metaphorically to mean being unemployed or struggling to make a living.
Examples
Have you ever seen anyone begging in the MTR station?
Related words
Common phrases
to live by begging
Common mistake
Avoid using 行乞 in casual conversation when talking about a specific person you see on the street, as it sounds like a clinical or journalistic observation. Use 乞食 instead for a more natural, colloquial tone.
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.
