Ba po 🔊

Usage examples

• 佢係條八婆，成日搞是非。
  She is such a bitch — always stirring up trouble.
• 唔好理佢，佢係巴婆嚟㗎。
  Ignore her, she's just being a bitch.

Etymology

Written 婆 (po) means an older woman or wife, and 叉 or the prefix 巴 (ba) is used here as a coarse intensifier in Cantonese slang. The compound functions as a crude dismissal, likening a woman to an unpleasant or disreputable person. The exact orthography varies and the pairing is a colloquial street construction rather than a formal compound.

Cultural notes

Ba po (巴婆 / 八婆) is a firmly vulgar Cantonese term used to describe a woman perceived as disagreeable, meddlesome, or promiscuous. It is common in Hong Kong street speech and appears frequently in heated arguments. The term carries a strong gendered dimension and is considered offensive in most contexts outside of very close informal banter.

Same meaning, other languages

Accuracy

85% of 61 voters say this translation is accurate.