匪幫 / 匪帮
fěibāng
The English word gang translates to Chinese as 匪幫 / 匪帮 (fěibāng). Wiktionary also lists 黑幫 / 黑帮 (hēibāng).
Meaning: group of criminals who band together for mutual protection (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 匪幫 / 匪帮 | fěibāng |
| 黑幫 / 黑帮 | hēibāng |
In Chinese, several terms are used to describe a group of criminals who band together for mutual protection.
What does it mean word for word?
匪幫 / 匪帮 (fěibāng) is composed of 匪, meaning bandit or rebel and 幫, meaning gang or group. 黑幫 / 黑帮 (hēibāng) is composed of 黑, meaning black and 幫, meaning gang or group, using the color black as a metaphor for the underworld.
How do you pronounce it?
fěibāng
Did you know?
- The character 幫 (bāng) is also used to denote a 'help' or 'assistance' in certain dialects and contexts, creating a linguistic irony where a 'gang' is etymologically a 'help group'.
- In traditional Chinese martial arts literature, different types of gangs or factions are often called 門 (mén), which literally translates to 'gate' or 'door'.
- Historically, 匪 was often used by imperial governments to label any rebel group, regardless of whether they were actual bandits or political revolutionaries.
Examples in context
- 这个团伙的成员已被逮捕。The members of this gang have been arrested.
- 他加入了一个臭名昭著的黑帮。He joined a notorious gang.
- 他是那个帮的成员之一。He is one of the members of that gang.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “gang” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
