lou1 pin1撈偏捞偏

Jyutpinglou1 pin1

Yalelōu pīn

動詞

Definition

To earn a living from illegal business or illicit means rather than a proper trade.

colloquialworkmoney

How it's used

Carries a strong connotation of shady or illicit activity that exists outside the bounds of legitimate employment. It is frequently used to describe someone who has turned to crime or underground operations to make ends meet. The term is informal and often implies a sense of moral judgment or social stigma.

Examples

keoi5佢ji5以cin4前lou1撈pin1偏，zaan6賺dou3到hou2好do1多cin2錢。

He used to work in illegal businesses and made a lot of money.

nei5你zi1知m4唔zi1知keoi5佢zou6做me1咩lou1撈pin1偏aa4呀？

Do you know what kind of illegal business he is involved in?

Common phrases

lou1撈pin1偏mun2門

to engage in illegal business

Common mistake

Do not confuse this with 撈, which simply means to stir or to make a living in a general sense. Adding 偏 specifically marks the activity as deviant or illegal, so using it to describe a regular job will sound very strange or insulting.