泡妞

Chinese

		to steep; soak; bubble(s) to steep; soak; bubble(s); foam; puffed; swollen	little girl
trad. (泡妞)		泡	妞
simp. #(泡妞)		泡	妞

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): pàoniū

  (Zhuyin): ㄆㄠˋ ㄋㄧㄡ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): paau³ nau²
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): phàu-niu

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: pàoniū
    • Zhuyin: ㄆㄠˋ ㄋㄧㄡ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: pàoniou
    • Wade–Giles: pʻao⁴-niu¹
    • Yale: pàu-nyōu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: pawnhiou
    • Palladius: паоню (paonju)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pʰɑʊ̯⁵¹ ni̯oʊ̯⁵⁵/
      
  • (Standard Chinese, erhua-ed) (泡妞兒／泡妞儿)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: pàoniūr
    • Zhuyin: ㄆㄠˋ ㄋㄧㄡㄦ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: pàoniour
    • Wade–Giles: pʻao⁴-niu¹-ʼrh
    • Yale: pàu-nyōur
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: pawnhioul
    • Palladius: паонюр (paonjur)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pʰɑʊ̯⁵¹ ni̯ɤʊ̯ɻʷ⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: paau³ nau²
    • Yale: paau náu
    • Cantonese Pinyin: paau³ nau²
    • Guangdong Romanization: pao³ neo²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pʰaːu̯³³ nɐu̯³⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: phàu-niu
    • Tâi-lô: phàu-niu
    • Phofsit Daibuun: phaoniw
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /pʰau²¹⁻⁵³ niũ⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Xiamen): /pʰau²¹⁻⁵³ niũ⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /pʰau⁴¹⁻⁵⁵⁴ niũ³³/

Verb

泡⫽妞 (verb-object)

1. (slang) to hook up with girls (often implying a bit of womanizing); to chase after girls; to pick up chicks

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 泡妞 (“to pick up a girl; to chase after a girl; to hit on a girl”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	泡妞, 拍婆子 dated
	Taiwan	泡妞, 泡馬子, 撩妹, 把妹, 把馬子
	Singapore	泡妞
Cantonese	Guangzhou	溝女
	Hong Kong	溝女, 𠝹女, yo女
Southern Min	Taipei	奅查某 GT, 奅姼仔 GT
	Shantou	釣女
Note	GT - General Taiwanese (no specific region identified)