waang4 zing1 bou6 lim5橫徵暴斂横征暴敛
Definition
To levy exorbitant taxes and extort money from the people by force.
How it's used
This idiom is used to describe severe, oppressive, or predatory financial practices by authorities or powerful entities. It carries a strong sense of moral condemnation and is typically reserved for extreme situations where people feel their livelihoods are being stripped away by unfair demands. While it originates from historical contexts of corrupt officials, it is still frequently applied in modern political discourse to criticize policies perceived as overly burdensome.
Examples
Related words
Common phrases
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a general term for being expensive or greedy, but it specifically implies the abuse of power to extract wealth. It is not used for individual greed or high prices in a shop, but rather for systemic or institutional oppression.
Grammar color guide
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.
