Cantonese Dictionary Vol. 78: 10 Cha Chaan Teng Ordering Codes Every Hong Konger Rattles Off Without Thinking

September 7, 2026

Interior of a Hong Kong cha chaan teng at breakfast with a waiter writing an order and a red tray of pineapple bun and milk tea

Walk into any Hong Kong cha chaan teng at 8am and you'll hear a language you'll never find in a textbook. It's the ordering code — a rapid-fire shorthand of one and two-syllable words that regulars fire at overworked waiters, and waiters shout back to the kitchen in a bark that sounds like an argument but is really a well-oiled system. If you can order this way, the aunties behind the counter know you're one of them.

This is Volume 78 of the Cantonese Dictionary. Ten codes, all Jyutping-checked, all still used every day from Sham Shui Po to Chinatown. Whether you're wearing our Hea heavyweight tee in a Toronto diner or shouting an order over the fan at Kam Wah, this vocabulary is the shortcut in.

Hot black tea pouring through a long stained cotton silk-stocking filter cloth into a stainless steel teapot — Silk-stocking milk tea in the making — every cha chaan teng brews it this way — AI-generated illustration

The magic words: 走 (walk) and 飛 (fly)

Before you start, remember two verbs. 走 (zau2) literally means "walk" and tells the kitchen to remove an ingredient. 飛 (fei1) means "fly" and does the same job. So a normally sweet drink with 走甜 is unsweetened. Coffee with 飛沙 has no sugar. Once you have these two verbs, half the code is unlocked.

1. 走冰

zau2 bing1 — Jyutping romanisation

Meaning: "No ice" — literally "walk the ice."

Explanation: Hong Kong summers hit 34°C with 90% humidity, so cold drinks come piled with ice by default. 走冰 is the standard swap for anyone with a sensitive stomach — including basically every Cantonese mum who ever lived, and who probably told you cold drinks are 濕氣 (dampness for the body).

In real life: 凍檸茶走冰，唔該。 — "Iced lemon tea no ice, thanks." (Yes, it's contradictory. Yes, everyone orders it that way.)

2. 少甜

siu2 tim4 — Jyutping romanisation

Meaning: "Less sweet" — the middle-ground request between full sugar and 走甜 (no sugar).

Explanation: Cha chaan teng syrup pours are notoriously heavy — a proper Yuenyeung tastes like liquid caramel unless you say otherwise. 少甜 is the health-conscious diaspora auntie's default order.

In real life: 凍鴛鴦少甜。 — "Iced Yuenyeung, less sweet."

3. 走青

zau2 ceng1 — Jyutping romanisation

Meaning: "No greens" — hold the spring onion, coriander, and any leafy garnish.

Explanation: The picky eater's shortcut. Cantonese cooks scatter chopped scallion and coriander on almost everything savoury, so 走青 removes both in one syllable.

In real life: 魚蛋粉走青唔該。 — "Fish ball noodles no greens, thanks."

4. 飛沙走奶

fei1 saa1 zau2 naai5 — Jyutping romanisation

Meaning: Black coffee — literally "fly the sand, walk the milk."

Explanation: 沙 (sand) is old cha chaan teng slang for granulated sugar. Combined with 走奶 (no milk), you get an espresso-strength black cup. This is the phrase that separates tourists from regulars.

In real life: 熱咖啡飛沙走奶。 — "Hot coffee, no sugar, no milk."

5. 茶走

caa4 zau2 — Jyutping romanisation

Meaning: Milk tea with condensed milk swapped for the standard evaporated milk.

Explanation: A quieter code that means "walk the evaporated milk and give me the sweet condensed one instead." Slightly thicker, noticeably sweeter, and the way your grandad probably drinks it. Perfect pairing for a warm pineapple bun.

In real life: 熱奶茶茶走。 — "Hot milk tea with condensed milk instead."

6. 加底

gaa1 dai2 — Jyutping romanisation

Meaning: "Add a base" — extra rice or noodles in your dish, for a small charge.

Explanation: 底 literally means "base" and refers to the starch under the topping. Great for hungry regulars, teenage sons, and anyone burning it off after a shift.

In real life: 叉燒飯加底。 — "Char siu rice, extra rice." A classic order for a Char Siu oversized tee kind of appetite.

Overhead flat lay of a cha chaan teng lunch table with baked pork chop rice, macaroni soup and iced lemon tea — A proper cha chaan teng lunch spread: baked pork chop rice, macaroni soup and iced lemon tea — AI-generated illustration

7. 扣底

kau3 dai2 — Jyutping romanisation

Meaning: "Deduct the base" — less rice or noodles.

Explanation: The polite opposite of 加底. Perfect for lunch when the portions are enormous and you have a meeting in half an hour. Also the go-to for anyone watching carbs — no smug health talk needed, just two syllables.

In real life: 乾炒牛河扣底。 — "Beef ho fun with less noodles."

8. 例湯

lai6 tong1 — Jyutping romanisation

Meaning: "Standard soup" — the daily soup that comes free with a set meal.

Explanation: 例 means "customary" or "as usual." It's what the cook happened to simmer that morning — corn and carrot, watercress, sometimes a real slow-simmered lou fo tong. Never ask what it is — you just drink it.

In real life: 今日例湯係咩？ — "What's today's standard soup?" (Optional — most locals just accept it.)

9. 靚仔

leng3 zai2 — Jyutping romanisation

Meaning: Plain steamed white rice.

Explanation: Yes, it also means "handsome young man" — but in a cha chaan teng, a bowl of pure white rice is called 靚仔 because it's fresh, clean and good-looking. Order the tee version for the pun: our 靚仔 Leng Zai oversized tee works either way.

In real life: 俾多碗靚仔。 — "Give me another bowl of white rice."

10. 靚女

leng3 neoi5 — Jyutping romanisation

Meaning: A bowl of plain congee (jook) — because it's soft, white and pretty.

Explanation: The mirror of 靚仔. Cha chaan teng waiters yelling "one handsome guy, one pretty girl!" to the kitchen is one of the funniest things you'll ever hear in a Hong Kong restaurant. And it's just rice and congee.

In real life: 一個靚仔一個靚女。 — "One rice, one congee." (Waiter yells this. Kitchen understands.)

Order like you've been coming here for years

If you learn nothing else, learn 走 and 飛. Everything after that is remix — 走冰 for the health-conscious, 加底 for the hungry, 飛沙走奶 for the caffeine warrior. Pair the words with the low mumble every Cantonese speaker uses on 唔該 at the end and you'll blend right in.

Or just go full 求其 Whatevs and let the auntie decide what you're eating. Sometimes that's the smartest order of all.