Do you want to sound like a local and talk to your Cantonese-speaking friends? Then, why not learn these essential Cantonese slang words 俚語 (lei5 jyu5) today? Today, we will learn about basic Cantonese slang words used in Hong Kong in everyday life. Are you ready? Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
Basic Cantonese Slang Words And Their Meaning
For a country as developed and as busy as Hong Kong, slang words and phrases are widely used in different social contexts. Even by just walking along the streets of a city, you can hear HK slang words. Usually, the old-fashioned slang words came from the rich Hong Kong culture and history. On the other hand, the slang words used by the younger generation have developed and used these slang words as a result of pop culture and online forums.
The Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority included local language in the questions in Chinese paper five of the 2008 Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination. Knowing slang words is one of the bases on how well you know your language and its culture.
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So, now, here are some Cantonese slang words that you may want to learn to sound like a local.
| Meaning | Cantonese | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Describe people having problems communicating with each other | 雞同鴨講 | Gai1 Tung4 Aap3 Gong2 |
| Buddhist-style approach in life | 佛系 | Fat6 Hai6 |
| Cause oneself unnecessary trouble | 捉蟲 | Zuk1 Cung4 |
| When a girl seeks male friendships to get her work and tasks done | 收兵 | Sau1 Bing1 |
| Describe something that’s of misleading quality | 伏 | Fuk6 |
| Someone who had way too many drinks and became sick in the toilet | 揸巴士 | Zaa1 Baa1 Si6 |
| An act of passing off responsibilities to someone else | 射波 | Se6 Bo1 |
| Look for new job or somewhere else while you’re still in your current job | 騎牛搵馬 | Ke4 Ngau4 Wan2 Maa5 |
| People who manipulate someone and appear innocent | 扮豬食老虎 | Baan6 Zyu1 Sik6 Lou5 Fu2 |
| Someone who is being cheated on | 戴綠帽 | Daai3 Luk6 Mou2 |
雞同鴨講 (Gai1 Tung4 Aap3 Gong2)
Literal Meaning: A Chicken Talking To A Duck
This Cantonese slang is best used to describe people having problems communicating with each other because of different factors like language barriers or different beliefs and opinions. Is it possible for a chicken in Cantonese to talk to a duck? Well, yes, but in fairytales. In reality, no way! No matter how much they talk, nothing makes sense because of the barriers, just like how a chicken can’t talk to a duck.
佛系 (Fat6 Hai6）
Literal Meaning: Buddhist Style
Have you ever met someone who has a nonchalant attitude towards their life? Someone who’s not in a rush in everything because they believe that if it is meant to happen, it will happen. Then, this is an adjective that best describes them. If you have an idea about Buddhism, you might get a reference to Cantonese slang. If you have a Buddhist-style approach in life, you do things lovingly and peacefully.
捉蟲 (Zuk1 Cung4)
Literal Meaning: Catching Worms
This phrase means to “cause oneself unnecessary trouble.” Have you gotten yourself in a pretty bad situation? Well, this is the Cantonese slang that suits you.
收兵 (Sau1 Bing1)
Literal Meaning: Collecting Soldiers
The phrase 收兵 (Sau1 Bing1) does not have a positive meaning because it is used when a girl seeks male friendships to get her work and tasks done. This commonly happens in the workplace or work culture in Hong Kong.
伏 (Fuk6)
Literal Meaning: Trap
伏 (Fuk6) is Cantonese slang word for trap. Have you ever experienced having the expectation vs. reality moment when something looks far from the picture posted on the website? Well, that’s a trap. The closest English word for this Hong Kong slang is dodgy. This Cantonese word is used in Hong Kong to describe something that’s of misleading quality.
揸巴士 (Zaa1 Baa1 Si6)
Literal Meaning: Driving A bus
揸巴士 (zaa1 baa1 si6) refers to someone who had way too many drinks and became sick in the toilet while gripping the toilet seat as if they were holding the bus driver’s steering wheel. Hong Kong has amazing nightlife, which will make it hard for you to resist drinking and saying cheers. But, you may want to hold your liquor if you don’t want to be referred to as a person driving a bus in Hong Kong.
射波 (Se6 Bo1)
Literal Meaning: Kicking The Ball
This Cantonese slang is a metaphor that literally means kicking the ball. It is used as an act of passing off responsibilities to someone else. Have you ever had to do someone else’s work in your workplace because you were told that they were sick, only to find out that it wasn’t true? How annoying, right?
騎牛搵馬 (Ke4 Ngau4 Wan2 Maa5)
Literal Meaning: To Ride An Ox While Looking For A Horse
It means when you want to find something better and new that ignites the fire in you again, so you look for that job or a new job title in Hong Kong or somewhere else while you’re still in your current job. People usually do this because they are scared that they have nothing to go back to if they fail. This may also apply in a relationship when a guy or girl is looking for another while they are still in a relationship.
扮豬食老虎 (Baan6 Zyu1 Sik6 Lou5 Fu2)
Literal Meaning: Pretend To Be A Pig To Eat A Tiger
It means backstabbers! Beware of people who manipulate someone and appear innocent but later become evil. Super annoying, right?
戴綠帽 (Daai3 Luk6 Mou2)
Literal Meaning: Wearing A Green Hat
It refers to someone who is being cheated on. When they call those men wore the green hat, that means they are cheated on.
Other Cantonese Slang Words
Wait, it’s not over yet because we have more Cantonese slang words that you can add to your Cantonese vocabulary.
| Meaning | Cantonese | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Crazy or insane | 黐線 | ci1 sin3/ chi sin |
| To express incredulous disbelief | 黐黐地 | ci1 ci1 dei6 |
| Someone who stroll around without any purpose | 𠺪 | he3 |
| Raining cats and dogs | 落狗屎 | lok6 gau2 si2 |
| To feel speechless | 滴汗 | dik6 hon6 |
| Failing to turn up on a date | 放飛機 | fong3 fei1 gei1 |
| To cheer someone up | 十卜 | sap6 buk1 |
| Something surprising and only happens because of luck | 負碌 | fu6 luk1 |
| Oh my gosh (O shape resembles the shape of the mouth); to feel astonishing and stunning | O 嘴 | O jeui2 |
| Someone who is excellent and tremendous | 屈機 | wat1 gei1 |
| Two people fall in love and lead to becoming a couple | 撻著 | taat3 zoek3 |
| Incredibly slow speed | 龜速 | gwai1 cuk1 |
| Handsome/ cool | 型 | jing4 |
| Something cute that comes with being chubby or rounded | 肥嘟嘟 | fei4 dyut1 dyut1 |
| Used to describe how white the subject is | 白雪雪 | baak6 syut3 syut3 |
| To be rejected | 食檸檬 | sik6 ling4 mung1 |
| Unexpectedly, happened out of the blue | 無啦啦 | mou4 laa1 laa1 |
| Smelly/ stinks | 臭崩崩 | cau3 bang1 bang1 |
| To drop dead | 仆街 | buk6 gaai1/pook gai |
| Perverted | 鹹濕 | haam4 sap1 |
| Being completely naked | 光脫脫 | gwong1 tyut3 tyut3 |
| To talk on the phone for hours | 煲電話粥 | bou1 din6 waa6 zuk1 |
| Causes someone to burst into laughter | 噴飯 | pan3 faan6 |
| Level up in a game | 升呢 | sing1 ne1 |
| To behave arrogantly and rudely | 串嘴 | chyun3 jeui2 |
| To behave pretentiously/conceitedly | 扮蟹 | baan6 haai5 |
| A piece of cake, don’t mention it, no biggie! | 濕濕碎 | sap1 sap1 seoi3 |
| Not that great, only so-so, slightly okay | 麻麻哋 | maa4 maa4 dei2 |
| Hurrying to do something | 嗱嗱臨 | naa4 naa4 lam4 |
| My favorite | 賣飛佛 | maai6 fei1 fat6 |
Frequently Asked Questions About Cantonese Slang Words
What Are Slang Words?
Slang words are vocabulary (words, phrases, expressions, etc.) spoken in a particular local culture. These are words that are generally exclusive within a social group. With this, you can see who belongs to the group and those who don’t. It is used in a special way in a certain social context.
What Does 898 Mean In Cantonese Slang?
“898”in Hong Kong means “bye bye” and “fxxk off” at the same time.
What is the Cantonese Slang Words For Foreigners?
Cantonese Slang Words For Foreigners is “鬼佬 (gweilo)”.
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