zong1 fun2贓款赃款
Jyutpingzong1 fun2
Yalejōng fún
Definition
Ill-gotten money, such as funds obtained from fraud, embezzlement, or theft.
neutralmoney
How it's used
This term is primarily used in legal, news, or formal reporting contexts to describe money obtained through criminal activity. It carries a strong negative connotation and is rarely used in casual, everyday conversation unless discussing a specific crime or police investigation.
Measure word
bat1筆bātExamples
The police have recovered the illicit money.
Where did he hide the ill-gotten money?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with general terms for money like 錢 or 財產. Remember that this word specifically implies the money is evidence of a crime or the proceeds of illegal activity, so it is inappropriate to use it for money earned through legitimate work.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- 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.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
