giang hồ

Level ≈B2 (approx.) adjectivenoun Sino-Vietnamese Top 5,000 most common

Hanoi [zaːŋ˧˧ ho˨˩]Huế [jaːŋ˧˧ how˦˩]Saigon [jaːŋ˧˧ how˨˩] browser voice

Syllables · tones

gianglevelngang hồfallinghuyền

Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →

giang hồ means lawless; especially thuggish; hoodlumish or gangsterish.

Chinese characters: 江湖

Meanings of giang hồ in English

Adjective

lawless, especially thuggish, hoodlumish or gangsterish
- giới giang hồthe underworld

Noun

thugs, gangsters; mafia members

Words with giang hồ

giang hồ mạng

Etymology

Sino-Vietnamese word from 江湖 (“rivers and lakes”), from Chinese 江湖 (jiānghú). In older texts, mostly used to describe the lives of people who didn't or couldn't settle for a home, but wandered around the country. The "outlaw" sense is popularized by Chinese wuxia soap operas, which frequently emphasize the lawlessness and cruelty of the martial arts world in feudal-China settings.

Frequently asked questions

What does giang hồ mean in English?

giang hồ (adjective) means "lawless; especially thuggish; hoodlumish or gangsterish".

How do you pronounce giang hồ?

IPA: Hanoi [zaːŋ˧˧ ho˨˩]; Saigon [jaːŋ˧˧ how˨˩]. Tones: giang — level tone (ngang), hồ — falling tone (huyền).

Is giang hồ a Sino-Vietnamese word?

Yes. giang hồ is a Sino-Vietnamese word from the Chinese characters 江湖.

Meanings, pronunciation and etymology from English Wiktionary (wiktionary.org, via kaikki.org; CC BY-SA 4.0), reviewed and edited. IPA shown for three accents: Hanoi (Northern), Huế (Central) and Saigon (Southern). The Listen button uses your browser's Vietnamese voice, for reference only. Levels are approximate, estimated from word frequency. Spotted a mistake? Let NgonNgu know.