Definition
水货 originally referred to smuggled or illegally imported goods (literally 'water goods'), but in modern Chinese it has taken on a broader slang meaning: someone who is all talk and no substance — a 'fraud' or 'poser' in a particular field. The term is often used online to criticize someone's lack of real skill or knowledge. Be careful: the 'smuggled goods' sense is still current, but the slang sense is now more common in everyday speech.
n.
(slang) a fraudposeror someone who talks big but lacks real abilitysmuggled goodsillegally imported merchandise
Examples
- ，水货，。Bié tīng tā de, tā jiùshì yí gè shuǐ huò, gēnběn bù dǒng jìshù.Don't listen to him — he's a total poser who doesn't know anything about tech.
- 水货，。Zhèxiē shuǐ huò méiyǒu jīngguò hǎiguān jiǎnchá, zhìliàng méiyǒu bǎozhàng.These smuggled goods haven't passed customs inspection, so their quality isn't guaranteed.
- 水货，。Wǎngshàng hěnduō rén mà nà ge zhǔbō shì shuǐ huò, shuō tā zhǐ huì chuīniú.Many people online called that streamer a fraud, saying he only knows how to brag.
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