三陪 (sānpéi): "three accompaniments"; a euphe…

Meanings

1 "three accompaniments"; a euphemism for hostess work that involves drinking, dancing, and singing with male customers (often a thin cover for prostitution)

Characters

三

Examples

警方在那家夜总会查处了三陪服务。

Jǐngfāng zài nà jiā yèzǒnghuì cháchǔle sānpéi fúwù.

Police cracked down on "three-accompaniment" services at that nightclub.

三陪小姐是非法行业里的常见称呼。

Sānpéi xiǎojiě shì fēifǎ hángyè lǐ de chángjiàn chēnghu.

"Three-accompaniment hostess" is a common term in the illegal-entertainment trade.

Tips

culture

三陪 emerged in 1990s China as a euphemism for hostess work in karaoke bars and nightclubs. The "three" refers to 陪酒 (drinking with), 陪舞 (dancing with), and 陪唱 (singing with) male customers — often a thin cover for prostitution (sometimes called 四陪 when 陪睡 "sleeping with" is added). The common collocation is 三陪小姐 (sānpéi xiǎojiě). It's police-blotter and tabloid vocabulary, not for polite conversation.

register

Strongly negative and euphemistic — only used when discussing the sex industry, prostitution crackdowns, or social commentary. Avoid using it casually.