骗子

• Pinyin: piàn zi
• Hanzi breakdown: 骗 = 马 + 扁, to deceive; 子 = person suffix

Meaning

Swindler; con artist; liar. A person who deceives others.

Refers to anyone who habitually deceives, from petty liars to professional fraudsters. Common in warnings about scams (网络骗子 online scammers, 电话骗子 phone scammers). Strongly negative connotation.

Examples

1. 他就是个骗子，你千万别相信他。 He's just a fraud; don't believe him whatever you do.
2. 网上有很多骗子冒充客服骗钱。 There are many scammers online pretending to be customer service to cheat people out of money.
3. 骗子的手段越来越高明了，大家要小心。 Scammers' methods are becoming more and more sophisticated; everyone should be careful.

Usage Guide

Context: warning, accusation, everyday

Tone: negative

Do Say

• 那个人是骗子，别理他。(That person is a scammer; ignore him.)
• 我差点被骗子骗了。(I almost got scammed.)

Don't Say

• 他是个可爱的骗子。(骗子 is strongly negative — don't use playfully unless context is very clear)

Origin & History

骗 (piàn, to deceive) + 子 (zi, person suffix). A person who deceives.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal