Ways to say it
| Cantonese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 老細 / 老世 / 老细 | lou⁵ sai³ |
| 老闆 / 老板 | lou⁵ baan² |
| 波士 |
In Cantonese, these terms are used to refer to a person in charge. Depending on the context, this can refer to a general supervisor, a business owner or a more casual or slangy way to address one's superior.
Which one should you use?
老細 / 老世 / 老细 is a colloquial and highly common way to address a boss in daily conversation. In contrast, 老闆 / 老板 is more formal and is often used specifically to refer to a business owner or proprietor. Finally, 波士 is a phonetic transliteration of the English word "boss" and functions as slang.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
老細 / 老世 / 老细 is an informal term. 老闆 / 老板 is more formal. If you need a strictly formal way to refer to a superior or supervisor, use 上司 (soeng6 si1) or if referring specifically to a manager, use 經理 (ging1 lei5). 波士 is considered slang for casual settings.
How do you pronounce it?
lou⁵ sai³
Did you know?
- In some social contexts, calling a stranger or a vendor 老細 is a way to show friendliness or to establish a rapport during a transaction.
- Using 波士 is a linguistic remnant of Hong Kong's colonial history, where English loanwords were integrated into daily Cantonese slang.
- If you use the term 上司 to actually address your boss to their face, it can sound unnaturally stiff and overly formal, almost like a textbook.
Examples in context
- 我老細好有魅力。 (ngo5 lou5 sai3 hou2 jau5 mei6 lik6)My boss is very charismatic.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “boss” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
