zyu1 zai2 haak3豬仔客猪仔客

Jyutpingzyu1 zai2 haak3

Yalejyū jái haak

Definition

Someone who trafficks in overseas laborers, historically referred to as coolies.

colloquialpeopleother

How it's used

Historically, this term referred to agents who recruited Chinese labourers for overseas work under exploitative conditions, often resembling indentured servitude. In modern contexts, it is frequently used to describe human traffickers or recruiters who lure victims into dangerous situations abroad under false pretenses. It carries a strong negative connotation of deceit and exploitation.

Measure word

go3個go

Examples

ji5以cin4前di1啲zyu1豬zai2仔haak3客zyun1專ngaak1呃jan4人heoi3去ngoi6外gwok3國zou6做fu2苦lik6力。

In the past, human traffickers specialized in tricking people into going abroad to work as coolies.

teng1聽gong2講go2嗰go3個zyu1豬zai2仔haak3客jau6又aak3呃zo2咗gei2幾go3個jan4人heoi3去dung1東naam4南aa3亞。

I heard that human trafficker tricked a few more people into going to Southeast Asia.

Related words

Common phrases

maai6賣zyu1豬zai2仔

to sell someone into forced labor or to trick someone into a bad job

Common mistake

Do not confuse this with 豬仔, which can simply mean a piggy bank or a term of endearment for a child. The addition of 客 specifically denotes the agent or trafficker, not the victim.