zyu1 zai2豬仔猪仔
Jyutpingzyu1 zai2
Yalejyū jái
Definition
A little pig, or a coolie sold as labor abroad.
- piglet; little pig
- dateda coolie or laborer sold abroad as cargo
colloquialanimalspeople
How it's used
Beyond the literal meaning of a small pig, this term carries a heavy historical weight when referring to indentured laborers. It evokes the image of people being treated like livestock, stripped of agency and shipped away. In modern casual speech, it is sometimes used metaphorically to describe someone being forced into a situation against their will, similar to being sold off.
Measure word
zek3隻jekExamples
The little pig is so cute, it keeps jumping around.
In the past, people were so poor they had to be sold as coolies to work abroad.
Related words
Common phrases
to sell someone into indentured labor
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the term 豬肉佬, which refers to a butcher. Using 豬仔 to describe a person is highly sensitive and often carries a negative or tragic connotation, so avoid using it to describe someone unless you are specifically discussing the historical context or using it as a strong metaphor for exploitation.
Grammar color guide
Noun
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Adjective
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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.
