zing3 haak3政客
Jyutpingzing3 haak3
Yalejing haak
Definition
Politician, often with a derogatory or opportunistic connotation.
colloquialpeople
How it's used
Unlike the neutral term 政治家 which implies respect and statesmanship, 政客 carries a strong negative connotation of opportunism and self interest. It is frequently used in media and casual conversation to dismiss someone as being manipulative or insincere for the sake of power. Using this word to describe a respected public figure will sound like a direct personal attack.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
He is just a politician; not a single word he says is true.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistakenly use 政客 as a neutral translation for politician. Always use 政治家 if you intend to describe a respected or professional political figure, as 政客 is almost exclusively used to criticize.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
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.
