流氓

• Pinyin: liú máng
• Hanzi breakdown: 流 = to wander; 氓 = 亡 + 民 (displaced/lawless people)

Meaning

Hooligan; rogue; gangster. A person who behaves in a disreputable, lawless, or intimidating manner.

Can refer to petty criminals, street thugs, or people with morally corrupt behaviour. Also used colloquially as a mild insult implying someone is unscrupulous or shameless. In internet slang it sometimes appears in light-hearted self-deprecation.

Examples

1. 那伙流氓长期在市场附近强行收取保护费，居民苦不堪言。 That gang of thugs has long been extorting “protection fees” near the market, leaving residents miserable.
2. 政府加大力度打击街头流氓行为，以改善社会治安。 The government stepped up efforts to crack down on street hooliganism to improve public safety.
3. 他开玩笑地说自己在追剧上简直是个流氓，一口气看了十集。 He joked that when it comes to binge-watching shows, he’s basically a menace—he watched ten episodes in one go.

Usage Guide

Context: legal, social, colloquial

Tone: negative

Do Say

• 附近出现了几个流氓，警方已介入调查，提醒市民注意安全。(Several hooligans have appeared nearby; police have intervened and are advising residents to stay safe.)
• 他用开玩笑的口吻自称是个美食流氓，对各地小吃无所不知。(He jokingly called himself a food hooligan, claiming expertise on street food from every region.)

Don't Say

• 在正式书面语中使用流氓描述严重罪犯 — 流氓 implies petty or moral wrongdoing; use 罪犯 or 歹徒 for serious criminals (In formal writing, don't use 流氓 for serious criminals — use 罪犯 or 歹徒 instead)

Origin & History

流 (flowing/wandering) + 氓 (common folk/riffraff) — originally referring to displaced vagrants

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal