joeng4 coi4洋財洋财
Jyutpingjoeng4 coi4
Yaleyèuhng chòih
Definition
Wealth acquired unexpectedly or through foreign, unusual, or illicit means.
colloquialmoneypeople
How it's used
Refers specifically to sudden wealth acquired through questionable, immoral, or illegal channels. It carries a strong connotation of disapproval or suspicion regarding the source of the money. Unlike standard terms for getting rich, this implies the person did not earn the wealth through honest labor.
Examples
He moved away after he made a fortune through illicit means.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a positive term for wealth, but it is almost exclusively used to criticize someone's financial gain. Avoid using it to describe legitimate business success or hard-earned savings.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- 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.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
