ma-cà-bông

Một ma-cà-bông đang ngồi xin ăn ở góc phố.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A vagabond or vagrant: A person who has no fixed home, no stable job, and wanders from place to place, often living off others or through dishonest means.
   • A ne'er-do-well or good-for-nothing: A person considered lazy, disreputable, and lacking in moral principles or legitimate livelihood.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Khu phố này có vài tên ma-cà-bông thường xuyên quấy rối người đi đường. (This neighborhood has a few vagabonds who often harass pedestrians.)
  • Hắn sống như một kẻ ma-cà-bông, không nhà cửa và không làm việc gì ra hồn. (He lives like a ne'er-do-well, with no home and no proper job.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "ma-cà-bông" is considered vulgar and derogatory. It strongly implies social disapproval and moral judgment, suggesting the person is a parasitic nuisance.

Variants and Related Words

• Lang thang (v): to wander, to roam. This is a more neutral verb describing movement without a fixed destination.
  • Nhiều người vô gia cư phải lang thang trên phố. (Many homeless people have to wander the streets.)

Synonyms

• Vagrant: A person without a settled home or regular work who wanders from place to place.
• Bum (slang, derogatory): A person who avoids work and lives off others.
• Drifter: A person who is continually moving from place to place, without a fixed home or job.

Related Idioms

• Sống kiểu ma-cà-bông: To live like a vagabond.
  • Sau khi mất việc, anh ta bắt đầu sống kiểu ma-cà-bông. (After losing his job, he started living like a vagabond.)