Boyfriend/Girlfriend vocabulary

[KnightOnline]

Here's a tread that could be useful to many foreigners in Hong Kong:

Post your boyfriend/girlfriend vocabulary here!

Stuff like sweet phrases to say to your other half, pet nicknames, flirts, suggestive sentences, etc.

It would be great if you could post stuff the locals would use, rather than just the chinese translations of english vocabulary. (but if you know at least the translations thats still cool too).

Looking forward to see what you guys come up with.

[chinonononozu]

靓仔!!, 靓女!! =P

translations Pretty boy! Pretty gal!

pretty much a phrase to get some attention of someone but it works kinda as a flirt too. Its literal meaning is the same as well like 她很靓女(She's hot!) but you say it as "she's very".

only use it in cantonese cuz i only hear this phrase in cantonese and xinhui but xinhui is pretty much similair to cantonese. anyway it's safe to use it in Guangdong i think ('-'?)

[CheukMo]

pretty much a phrase to get some attention of someone but it works kinda as a flirt too. Its literal meaning is the same as well like 她很靓女(She's hot!) but you say it as "she's very".

Wouldn't you say: 佢好靚 ? I know it's not proper (Mandarin) writing, but would be said this way in Cantonese, right?

[zozzen]

佢好靚 is a common phrase in Cantonese.

Besides many names for boy and girls, measure words can be confusing and complicated to many non-natives. The measure word for boy/ girl can be 個﹐ 條, 位﹐ 名, each would make different meanings.

我個女 = my daughter

我條女 = my girlfriend

這位女士 = This lady

該名女子 = That female

[wai ming]

我條女 = my girlfriend

Isn't that somewhat rude?

[skylee]

我條女 = my girlfriend

Isn't that somewhat rude?

I agree. Some people speak like this. Others don't.

[KnightOnline]

Isn't that somewhat rude?

Why is it rude? I don't understand

[zozzen]

我條女 = my girlfriend

Isn't that somewhat rude?

It depends on the tones and context. My friends burst into tears with laugh when we heard an American use this phrase to show off his Cantonese. No matter it's rude or not, it's very common phrase among youngesters and gang members.

[skylee]

Why is it rude? I don't understand

it's very common phrase among youngesters and gang members

gangsters ... people i know say 我女朋友 or 我個女朋友.

[zozzen]

[q]Why is it rude? I don't understand[/q]

One possible reason is that the the measure word "條" implies a girlfriend is a sex toy and it could be offensive, sometimes, depending on the context and tones. In movies, people often refer the prostitute as "條女". E.g. "條女唔掂呀﹐ 換個條畀我! " ( This (條) girl isn't good. Show me another one!)

Feminists should be pleased that equal rights has been widespread in hong kong, so young girls also refer their boyfriend as "條仔". Go-go boys can also be "條仔". "爸爸生﹐ 今日我要狂歡﹐ 搵條仔畀我﹐ 要有六舊腹肌! "