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耍流氓 (shuǎ liú máng) — to act like a hoodlum; to sexually harass (colloquial, often with a sexual connotation)

Definition

Colloquial verb meaning to act like a hooligan or to sexually harass — stronger and more vulgar than simply 'cause trouble' (e.g. 捣乱), and commonly used for unwanted touching or molestation in public.

verb
to act like a hoodlumto sexually harass (colloquial, often with a sexual connotation)

Examples

  • ，。
    Tā zài gōng gòng qì chē shàng shuǎ le yí cì liú máng, bèi qí tā rén bào jǐng le.
    He sexually harassed someone on the bus, and others called the police.
  • ，。
    Tā hē le jiǔ, zài lù shang shuǎ liú máng.
    He drank alcohol and acted like a thug on the street.
  • ！
    Bié zài zhè lǐ shuǎ shén me liú máng!
    Don't harass anyone here!

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

耍shuǎact
流氓hoodlum
流liúwandering氓mángpeople
偏正Modifier + head

耍 means to act, and 流氓 means hoodlum, describing behaving like a hoodlum.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 耍 →

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
㐬
㐬㐬流liú
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

流 has 水, water, and 㐬, which gives the sound. The water part matches meanings such as flow.

Open 流 →

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
民民mínpeople
Sound part声符shēngfú
亡
亡wáng氓méng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

氓 pairs 民, meaning 'people', with 亡, which supplies its sound.

Appears in
Crime & Police

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