maai6 mou5賣武卖武
Jyutpingmaai6 mou5
Yalemaaih móuh
Definition
To perform martial arts on the street to earn money from the audience.
colloquialpeopledaily actions
How it's used
Historically, this term refers to street performers who would demonstrate combat skills to draw a crowd before soliciting donations. It carries a strong connotation of working-class survival and old-fashioned street culture. It is rarely used to describe modern professional martial arts schools or competitive sports.
Examples
In the past, people liked to perform martial arts on the street to make a living.
Do you really think there is still anyone performing martial arts for money in the park nowadays?
Related words
Common phrases
street martial arts performance
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with simply practicing martial arts, which is 練武. Using 賣武 to describe a formal martial arts class or a professional athlete would sound bizarre and imply they are begging for money.
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.
