江湖骗子 (jiāng hú piàn zi) — (noun) swindler, charlatan; a con artist who trades on the mystique of the "jianghu" underworld

Definition

Literally 'rivers-and-lakes swindler': a con artist who fakes skill or status (e.g. a fake healer, fortune-teller, or martial-arts master) to exploit trust. The 江湖 framing emphasizes the hustler's pretence of belonging to an underworld of experts.

noun
swindlercharlatana con artist who trades on the mystique of the "jianghu" underworld
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 江湖骗子。
    Nà ge zì chēng dà shī de rén qí shí shì gè jiāng hú piàn zi.
    That person who calls himself a master is actually a charlatan.
  • 江湖骗子。
    Wǎng shàng hěn duō jiāng hú piàn zi kào xū jiǎ guǎng gào piàn qián.
    Many online swindlers make money through false advertisements.
  • ，江湖骗子。
    Bié xìn tā de huà, tā jiù shì gè jiāng hú piàn zi.
    Don't believe him; he's just a con artist.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

江湖rivers and lakes
江jiāngriver湖húlake
联合Side by side
骗子swindler
骗piànswindle子zǐsuffix

江湖 (rivers and lakes) gives the underworld setting, while 骗子 (swindler) names the person.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
工
工gōng江jiāng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

江 puts 氵, the water side, beside 工, which gives a sound; the water part points to its river meaning.

Open 江 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
胡
胡hú湖hú
Same sound today

湖 pairs 水 (water) with 胡 (hú), which gives the sound.

Open 湖 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 騙; 骗 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
馬馬mǎhorse
Sound part声符shēngfú
扁
扁biǎn騙piàn
Same sound today

The traditional form 騙 pairs 馬 (horse) with 扁, which gives the sound; it originally meant to mount a horse by swinging a leg across it. The simplified 骗 is a later abbreviation.

Open 骗 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

子 is drawn as a baby with a large head, arms stretched out, and legs wrapped in a blanket.

Open 子 →

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