Definition
马贼 refers to mounted bandits or horse-riding outlaws, a term historically associated with the lawless frontier regions of northern China (especially Manchuria and Inner Mongolia) during the late Qing and Republican eras. Unlike generic 'bandits' (土匪), 马贼 specifically emphasizes mobility on horseback, making them akin to 'horse thieves' or 'marauders' in English. The word carries a strong historical and cultural flavor — you'll encounter it in wuxia novels, historical dramas, and discussions of 19th–20th century Chinese banditry.
n.
mounted bandithorse-riding outlaw (historical term for brigands on horseback in northern China)
Examples
- 马贼。Zhè bù xiǎoshuō jiǎng de shì Qīngcháo mònián mǎ zéi de gùshi.This novel tells the story of mounted bandits in the late Qing dynasty.
- 马贼。Dōngběi de mǎ zéi céngjīng ràng dāngdì bǎixìng fēicháng hàipà.The mounted bandits of Manchuria once terrified the local people.
- ，马贼。Lìshǐ shàng, mǎ zéi jīngcháng zài cǎoyuán shàng qiǎngjié shāngduì.Historically, mounted bandits often robbed caravans on the grasslands.
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