hei3 zi2戲子戏子
Jyutpinghei3 zi2
Yalehei jí
Definition
An actor, a foil in a police lineup, or a hypocritical deceiver.
- datedactor or actress
- a foil or decoy used in a police identification lineup
- figurativea hypocrite; someone who pretends and deceives others
colloquialpeople
How it's used
Historically, this term carried a strong social stigma because traditional performers were often viewed as low status. Nowadays, it is rarely used to describe professional actors unless the speaker intends to be insulting or dismissive. Its most common neutral application today is in police procedures to describe the decoys used in identification lineups.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
They are all just a bunch of actors putting on a show to deceive people.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not use this to refer to a professional actor in a respectful context, as it implies they are insincere or manipulative. Use 演員 instead for a neutral or positive description of someone's profession.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- 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.
