Definition

1. Noun:
   • A vagrant; a vagabond: "ma cà bông" refers to a person who has no fixed home or legitimate job, lives a wandering life, and often earns a living through dishonest or dubious means.
   • A rogue; a rascal: It can also imply a person who is mischievous, unreliable, or engages in disreputable activities.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Những kẻ ma cà bông thường lang thang quanh chợ. (Vagrants often wander around the market.)
  • Đừng tin hắn, hắn là một tên ma cà bông chuyên lừa đảo. (Don't trust him; he's a rogue who specializes in fraud.)

Advanced Usage

• Used as a modifier: While primarily a noun, it can be used attributively to describe a characteristic or lifestyle.
  • Cuộc sống ma cà bông (a vagabond life)
  • Bọn ma cà bông (a gang of vagrants/rogues)

Variants and Related Words

• Lang thang (v, adj): to wander; wandering. This is a more neutral term for having no fixed abode.
• Vô gia cư (adj, n): homeless; a homeless person. This is a direct, descriptive term without the negative connotation of dishonesty.
• Lưu manh (n): a hoodlum; a hooligan. This shares the connotation of dishonesty and petty crime but implies a more organized or gang-like element.

Synonyms

• Kẻ lang thang: wanderer.
• Kẻ vô công rồi nghề: an idle person with no job.
• Kẻ bất lương: a dishonest person.

Notes on Meaning and Connotation

The term "ma cà bông" carries a strong negative connotation. It does not simply mean a homeless person ("người vô gia cư"), but specifically implies a person who chooses or is forced into a wandering, unsettled lifestyle often associated with laziness, trickery, or petty crime. It is a derogatory term.

1. vagrand; vagabon