Gweipo
/ˈɡweɪ.pəʊ/noun
A Cantonese-derived, often derogatory term for a white or Western woman, especially in Hong Kong usage.
Did you know?Gweipo is the feminine counterpart of gweilo, literally built from Cantonese words meaning “ghost” and “woman,” reflecting older Chinese descriptions of pale-skinned Western foreigners as ghostlike.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Chinese
Chinese
鬼婆
“Literally “ghost woman”; 鬼 means “ghost” and 婆 means “woman” or “old woman.””
19th Century
Cantonese
gwái pò
“A colloquial Cantonese expression for a foreign or Western woman, often specifically a white woman.”
Late 19th–Early 20th Century
Hong Kong English
gweipo
“An English-context spelling of the Cantonese term, used in colonial Hong Kong and surrounding communities.”
20th Century
English
gweipo
“A loanword referring to a white or Western woman, commonly retaining derogatory or culturally marked overtones.”
Modern English
English
gweipo
“A relatively uncommon English loanword, also spelled gweipo or gweipoh, contrasted with gweilo for a Western man.”