san4 gwan3神棍
Jyutpingsan4 gwan3
Yalesàhn gwan
Definition
A spiritual imposter or charlatan who claims to have supernatural powers to swindle people.
colloquialpeoplemoney
How it's used
Originally referring to people who used spiritual claims to manipulate others, the term is now applied broadly to anyone who uses pseudo-science or fake expertise to scam people. It carries a strong sense of moral condemnation and implies that the person is predatory. It is frequently used in contexts involving financial scams or fake fortune tellers.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
That guy is a total fraud, he swindled a lot of people out of their money.
Don't believe him, he is nothing but a con artist.
Related words
Common phrases
to deceive people using religious or supernatural pretenses
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 騙子, which is a general term for a swindler. 神棍 specifically highlights the exploitation of faith, superstition, or spiritual vulnerability.
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.
