bo1 baa3波霸
Jyutpingbo1 baa3
Yalebō ba
Definition
A woman with large breasts, or large tapioca pearls used in bubble tea.
- slanga woman with large breasts
- large tapioca pearls used in bubble tea
colloquialfooddrink
How it's used
Originally a slang term for a woman with a large bust, the word was cleverly co-opted by the bubble tea industry in the 1980s to describe the large size of the tapioca pearls. While the sexual connotation remains, it is now overwhelmingly used in the context of ordering drinks. Using it to describe a drink is completely safe and standard in any casual setting.
Measure word
bui1杯būiExamples
Related words
Common phrases
bubble tea with large tapioca pearls
Common mistake
Be careful when using this word in a social setting, as the original slang meaning for a person is quite direct and potentially offensive. When ordering tea, always include the word 奶茶 to avoid any ambiguity.
Grammar color guide
Noun
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Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
