maai5 ceng1 miu4買青苗买青苗
Jyutpingmaai5 ceng1 miu4
Yalemáaih chēng mìuh
Definition
To profiteer or exploit people in difficult circumstances by buying crops before they are harvested.
colloquialpeoplemoney
How it's used
Originally referring to the agricultural practice of buying crops before harvest at a low price, this term has evolved into a metaphor for predatory behavior. It specifically describes someone who swoops in to exploit others when they are at their most vulnerable or desperate. It carries a strong moral condemnation and is used to label someone as opportunistic and unethical.
Examples
He specializes in profiteering from others' misfortunes, he really has no conscience.
Related words
Common phrases
to specialize in predatory profiteering
Common mistake
Do not use this term in a literal agricultural context unless you are specifically discussing historical farming practices, as modern speakers will almost exclusively interpret it as a metaphor for exploitation.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
