阿飞 (āfēi): hoodlum

Measure Word

一个阿飞 gè

他年轻时是个阿飞。

Tā niánqīng shí shì gè āfēi.

He was a hooligan when he was young.

街上有几个阿飞在闹事。

Jiēshàng yǒu jǐ gè āfēi zài nàoshì.

There were a few hooligans causing trouble on the street.

culture

The term became iconic through Wong Kar-wai's 1990 film 阿飞正传 (Days of Being Wild). It evokes a rebellious, directionless youth of 1960s Hong Kong.

register

Somewhat dated slang. More common in older generations and Hong Kong/Taiwanese Mandarin than in mainland everyday speech today.

阿 ā

飞 fēi