kēngrén: 坑人 - To Cheat, To Scam, To Rip Someone Off
Quick Summary
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Summary: Learn the essential Chinese slang term 坑人 (kēng rén), which vividly describes the feeling of being cheated, scammed, or ripped off. This page explores the literal meaning of “putting someone in a pit,” its cultural significance in modern China, and how to use it in everyday conversation to complain about everything from tourist traps and bad products to unfair bosses. Master this term to understand and express frustration like a native speaker.
Core Meaning
Pinyin (with tone marks): kēng rén
Part of Speech: Verb, Adjective
HSK Level: N/A
Concise Definition: To deceive, take advantage of, or treat someone unfairly, often for personal gain.
In a Nutshell: 坑人 (kēng rén) literally means “to pit a person.” Imagine someone digging a hole in the ground (a 坑, kēng) specifically for you to fall into. This powerful metaphor is the core of the term. It's an informal and very common way to express that you've been tricked, scammed, put in a disadvantageous position, or completely ripped off. It's the go-to word for complaining about a bad deal, a deceptive service, or any situation where you feel you've been played for a fool.
Character Breakdown
坑 (kēng): This character's primary meaning is a “pit,” a “hole,” or a “hollow in the ground.” By extension, it also carries the meaning of trapping or ensnaring something or someone.
人 (rén): This character is one of the simplest and most fundamental in Chinese, meaning “person” or “people.”
When combined, 坑人 (kēng rén) paints a clear and visceral picture: “to put a person in a pit.” This isn't just a simple deception; it's about setting a trap for someone, leading them into a situation where they are stuck and have been taken advantage of.
Cultural Context and Significance
In a country with a bustling market economy like China, navigating consumer transactions can sometimes be tricky. The term 坑人 (kēng rén) has become a crucial piece of everyday vocabulary to articulate the frustration of dealing with deceptive practices. It taps into a universal feeling of injustice but is expressed with a unique, tangible metaphor.
Compared to the English phrase “to rip someone off,” 坑人 (kēng rén) feels more personal and deliberate. A “rip-off” might just be an extreme overcharge, but something that is “keng” implies a level of cunning and trickery—a pre-dug trap. For example, a taxi driver taking a deliberately long route isn't just overcharging you; he is actively “keng-ing” you. This term reflects a societal awareness and condemnation of unfairness and a lack of good faith in social and commercial interactions. It's a verbal tool for calling out behavior that undermines trust.
Practical Usage in Modern China
坑人 (kēng rén) is highly informal and extremely common in spoken Mandarin. You'll hear it constantly among friends, on social media, and in any situation where people are venting their frustrations.
As a Verb (to cheat/scam): This is its most common usage. It's used to describe an action someone took to deceive another person.
As an Adjective (describing a situation/thing): The character `坑` by itself is often used as an adjective, sometimes intensified with words like `太 (tài)` or `真 (zhēn)`.
In Online Gaming: It's frequently used to describe a “noob” or a bad teammate whose poor performance harms the entire team. This player is called a `坑队友 (kēng duìyǒu)`, or “pit teammate.”
The connotation is always negative. It's a word of complaint, warning, or accusation.
Example Sentences
Example 1:
那个旅游景点的门票那么贵，完全是在坑人！
Pinyin: Nàge lǚyóu jǐngdiǎn de ménpiào nàme guì, wánquán shì zài kēng rén!
English: The entrance fee for that tourist spot is so expensive, it's a total rip-off!
Analysis: This is a classic use case, complaining about exorbitant prices at a tourist trap.
Example 2:
我再也不去那家手机店了，他们总是坑人。
Pinyin: Wǒ zàiyě bù qù nà jiā shǒujī diàn le, tāmen zǒngshì kēng rén.
English: I'm never going to that phone store again; they always cheat people.
Analysis: Here, it describes a business's habitual deceptive practices.
Example 3:
这个手机套餐听起来不错，但你小心点，别被坑了。
Pinyin: Zhège shǒujī tàocān tīng qǐlái bùcuò, dàn nǐ xiǎoxīn diǎn, bié bèi kēng le.
English: This mobile phone plan sounds good, but be careful not to get screwed over.
Analysis: This shows the passive voice `被坑 (bèi kēng)`, “to be cheated,” and how the term is used as a warning.
Example 4:
这份工作太坑了，天天加班还没有加班费。
Pinyin: Zhè fèn gōngzuò tài kēng le, tiāntiān jiābān háiméi yǒu jiābān fèi.
English: This job is such a scam; I have to work overtime every day with no overtime pay.
Analysis: A great example of `坑` used as an adjective to describe a situation, not just a transaction.
Example 5:
你这不是坑人吗？你说好要来帮忙的！
Pinyin: Nǐ zhè bùshì kēng rén ma? Nǐ shuō hǎo yào lái bāngmáng de!
English: Aren't you screwing me over? You promised you would come and help!
Analysis: This demonstrates its use in interpersonal relationships, where someone breaks a promise and leaves another person in a bad situation.
Example 6:
他在游戏里就是一个“坑”，一直在送人头。
Pinyin: Tā zài yóuxì lǐ jiùshì yíge “kēng”, yìzhí zài sòng réntóu.
English: He's a “pit” (terrible teammate) in the game, he's just been feeding the enemy kills.
Analysis: This highlights the specific slang usage in the world of online gaming, where “坑” can be a noun referring to the person who is doing the “keng-ing”.
Example 7:
这家公司的合同里有很多小字，感觉处处是坑。
Pinyin: Zhè jiā gōngsī de hétóng lǐ yǒu hěnduō xiǎozì, gǎnjué chùchù shì kēng.
English: This company's contract has a lot of fine print; it feels like there are traps everywhere.
Analysis: Here, `坑` is used as a noun to mean “a trap” or “a pitfall.”
Example 8:
我买的这个便宜充电器用了两次就坏了，真坑！
Pinyin: Wǒ mǎi de zhège piányi chōngdiànqì yòngle liǎng cì jiù huàile, zhēn kēng!
English: This cheap charger I bought broke after two uses, what a rip-off!
Analysis: Shows `坑` as a standalone adjective expressing frustration over poor product quality.
Example 9:
老板让我一个人完成三个人的项目，这不是明摆着坑我吗？
Pinyin: Lǎobǎn ràng wǒ yíge rén wánchéng sān ge rén de xiàngmù, zhè bùshì míngbǎi zhe kēng wǒ ma?
English: The boss wants me to finish a three-person project by myself, isn't he obviously trying to screw me over?
Analysis: `坑` can be used as a transitive verb directly followed by the object (the person being cheated), e.g., `坑我 (kēng wǒ)`.
Example 10:
小心那些免费的“陷阱”，很多都是坑人的。
Pinyin: Xiǎoxīn nàxiē miǎnfèi de “xiànjǐng”, hěnduō dōu shì kēng rén de.
English: Be careful of those free “traps,” many of them are designed to scam you.
Analysis: This sentence pairs `坑人` with the more formal word for trap, `陷阱 (xiànjǐng)`, to emphasize the deceptive nature.
Nuances and Common Mistakes
False Friends: Formal vs. Informal. A common mistake is using 坑人 (kēng rén) in a formal context. It is slang. If you are writing a formal complaint letter or a police report, you should use more formal terms like `欺骗 (qīpiàn)` (to deceive) or `诈骗 (zhàpiàn)` (to swindle/commit fraud).
Incorrect: `尊敬的经理，您的员工昨天坑了我。` (Respected manager, your employee ripped me off yesterday.)
Correct: `尊敬的经理，我认为您的员工有欺骗消费者的行为。` (Respected manager, I believe your employee engaged in behavior that deceived a customer.)
Versatility of `坑 (kēng)`: English speakers often learn `坑人` as a fixed phrase. However, `坑` is very flexible. Remember it can be a verb (“别坑我” - Don't screw me over), a noun (“这里有个坑” - There's a trap here), and an adjective (“太坑了” - Such a rip-off). Understanding this flexibility is key to using it naturally.
上当 (shàngdàng) - To be duped, to fall for a trick. This describes the result of being `坑人`. `我上当了` means “I fell for it.”
骗子 (piànzi) - A scammer, a con artist, a cheater. This is the person who does the `坑人`.
忽悠 (hūyou) - To bamboozle, to trick with fast talk or exaggerated claims. This is a specific method of `坑人`, focusing on verbal deception.
宰客 (zǎikè) - Literally “to butcher a customer.” This refers specifically to grossly overcharging customers, especially tourists. A very common form of `坑人` in the service industry.
套路 (tàolù) - A scheme, a playbook, a set of tricks. This refers to the premeditated method used to `坑人`. “都是套路” (“It's all a scheme”) is a popular phrase.
欺骗 (qīpiàn) - To deceive, to cheat. This is a more formal and general term for deception than `坑人`.
诈骗 (zhàpiàn) - Fraud, to swindle. This is a serious, often criminal, term. You report `诈骗` to the police; you complain about being `坑` to your friends.
坑爹 (kēngdiē) - A very popular internet slang term from the 2010s, literally “to pit one's dad.” It's an emphatic version of `坑`, used to describe something that is ridiculously unfair, frustrating, or of shockingly poor quality.