白粉 (bái fěn) — face powder, cosmetic powder; (slang) heroin

Definition

白粉 literally means 'white powder', but has two distinct meanings. The first is cosmetic face powder used in makeup. The second is slang for heroin, a dangerous drug. Context is key: in a beauty or cosmetics context, it refers to the cosmetic; in a drug-related context, it refers to heroin. The drug sense is informal and carries strong negative connotations.

face powdercosmetic powder(slang) heroin

Examples

白粉。
Tā měitiān huàzhuāng qián dōu yào yòng bái fěn.
She uses face powder every day before applying makeup.
白粉。
Jǐngfāng cháhuò le dàliàng bái fěn.
The police seized a large amount of heroin.
，白粉。
Zhè jiā diàn mài huàzhuāngpǐn, bāokuò bái fěn hé kǒuhóng.
This store sells cosmetics, including face powder and lipstick.

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