siu2 jan4小人
Jyutpingsiu2 jan4
Yalesíu yàhn
Definition
A base, despicable, or treacherous person; a villain or scoundrel.
colloquialpeopleother
How it's used
Beyond the moral judgment of being a villain, this term is frequently invoked in the context of traditional folk practices like 打小人, where a practitioner ritually beats a paper effigy to ward off bad luck or malicious individuals. It carries a strong sense of personal betrayal or backstabbing rather than just general criminality. It is the direct moral opposite of 君子, which describes a person of high integrity and noble character.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
He is so sneaky, he really is a scoundrel.
Don't listen to what those treacherous people say.
Related words
Common phrases
to perform the ritual of beating the villain
an unscrupulous or petty mind
Common mistake
Do not use this to describe someone who is physically short, as that would be interpreted as a direct insult to their character rather than a comment on their height.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
