下海 / 北漂 / 漂一族

[cbuskid]

I need help figuring out the meaning usage of these three words.

 

I believe that 下海 is a term for a person who moves to Guangdong without a proper hukou, 北漂 is the term for a person in Beijing with out at hukou and 漂一族 refers to people without the proper hukou all over China as a group. Is that correct? Would I use these as a noun, verb or adjective?

 

My Taiwanese friend said 下海 means "to become a prostitute" but I don't trust Taiwanese to explain mainland slang.

 

Thanks!

[mandarina]

As far as I know:

下海 means to do business, be an entrepreneur (especially for people from the government cadre - popular after 1990s)

 

北漂 or 北漂一族 is a term for people living in Beijing (mostly those without Beijing hukou, but also the locals) that don't have have  regular residence, or even a regular job so they have to live 'day by day': moving around, sleeping here and there, doing some temporary jobs; floating

[roddy]

I would say 下海 is just to go into business, probably quitting some stable employment. Interesting idea that it is mainly for officials - I guess back in the day, they would have been the only ones with the resources / connections to do it. Not necessarily to Guangdong though. 

 

I don't think 漂 is necessarily a very day-to-day hand-to-mouth existence. You could have a permanent job and decent accommodation, but you're not settled there and will likely go back home at some point.