moonlighting; taking on a side job
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesverb
to moonlight; to take on extra work for pay outside one's main job
dialectThis is a slang term originating from Cantonese, where '炒' (chǎo) means 'to stir-fry' but is used metaphorically here for 'doing brisk business' or 'engaging in', and '更' (gēng) refers to the night watch or a shift. It specifically refers to part-time work done during evenings or off-hours to earn extra income, often informal or casual.
Tā他
bái白
tiān天
zài在
gōng公
sī司
shàng上
bān班
，
wǎn晚
shàng上
kào靠
kāi开
chē车
chǎo炒
gēng更
。
He works at a company during the day and moonlights as a driver at night.
Shēng生
huó活
yā压
lì力
dà大
，
bù不
shǎo少
nián年
qīng轻
rén人
dōu都
xuǎn选
zé择
chǎo炒
gēng更
lái来
bǔ补
tiē贴
jiā家
yòng用
。
With the high cost of living, many young people choose to take on side jobs to supplement the household income.
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Zhè这
fèn份
chǎo炒
gēng更
de的
huó活
suī虽
rán然
lèi累
，
dàn但
shōu收
rù入
hái还
bù不
cuò错
。
This side job is tiring, but the pay is decent.