Skip to main content
Hong Kong term for (white) Westerners.
It means something like "ghost", "ghost man" in Cantonese.
Not really an insult, sort of funny, almost endearing.
Can be an insult when used with "sei": "sei gweilo", means "damned foreigner"
Also spelled as gweilo or gwailo.
A western woman is called "kweipo" (or gweipo/gwaipo).
"Bring this kwailo some fried rice, he does not like real Cantonese food."

From a Sydney Chinese restaurant review:
"The yum cha is really kwailo but good. Tasty fresh and well priced (for kwailo)."
kwailo by Slavvy April 26, 2007