Diew Lei
Fuck You
/tiːu˨˩ lei˩˧/ "dyew LAY (falling then rising tones)"
severity: strong vulgarstreet
Fuck you — 屌你 (diu nei) in a Westernized romanization spelling; identical in meaning and force to “d’iu lay” (entry 1959)
Usage examples
- 屌你！走開！Diew lei! Jau hoi!Fuck you! Get away!
- 屌你老母，你係咪傻㗎？Diew lei lou mou, nei hai mai so ga?Fuck your mother, are you stupid?
Etymology
Written 屌你 or 𨳒你 in Chinese characters — the same phrase as 'D'iu lay' (entry 1959). 屌 (Jyutping: diu2) is the Cantonese verb 'to fuck'; 你 (nei5) means 'you'. 'Diew lei' is a Westernized romanization variant common in older Hong Kong-English writing and among overseas Cantonese communities, where the vowel shift from 'iu' to 'iew' reflects a regional or generational spelling preference. It is phonetically identical to 'd'iu lay' and refers to the same phrase.
Cultural notes
Diew lei is a variant romanization of 屌你 (diu nei), the canonical Cantonese 'fuck you'. The spelling 'diew lei' is associated with older Hong Kong romanization conventions and diaspora communities (particularly in the UK, Australia, and North America) where Cantonese was written phonetically without a standardized system. It is functionally identical to 'd'iu lay' and 'diu nei' in both meaning and force. See also entry 1959 (d'iu lay) and 1963 (diu) for the standalone verb.
Same meaning, other languages
Accuracy
94% of 16 voters say this translation is accurate.