How To Learn Slang: A Proven 3-Step Process

Recently, I received a fascinating question from Sam, a podcast listener and blog reader from the United States, about how to learn slang in Cantonese.

Her question got me thinking about something that applies to all language learners: how do you tackle slang and idioms without falling into common traps?

Learning slang can be a double-edged sword. Get it right, and you'll sound like a native speaker who truly understands the culture. Get it wrong, and you might come across as trying too hard – or worse, completely misunderstanding the context.

In this post, I want to share my approach to how to learn slang effectively, drawn from my experiences with languages like Cantonese, Spanish and Japanese.

If you prefer watching videos to reading, hit play on the video version of this post at the top of this page. Otherwise, here's what you'll discover in this post:

Why Cantonese Slang Presents Unique Challenges

Cantonese is particularly interesting when it comes to slang because it's fundamentally a spoken language.

Children in Hong Kong learn traditional Chinese in school, which is quite different from the Cantonese they speak at home and on the street with friends and family.

This separation between written and spoken forms means that the spoken language evolves incredibly quickly.

Add to this Hong Kong's vibrant, fast-moving culture and rich political history and you've got an incredibly fluid language that's constantly changing.

Cantonese slang characteristics:

• Heavy influence from local culture and food
• Constantly evolving with new expressions
• Deep cultural references that require extensive background knowledge
• Idioms that often relate to food or cultural concepts

This makes it particularly challenging for foreigners learning Cantonese, as you need such deep knowledge of the language and culture to really understand these expressions.

The Dangers Of Overusing Slang And Idioms

I learned this lesson the hard way during my time in Japan. I often met English learners who would speak almost exclusively in idioms – and it was frankly bizarre.

These students would religiously attend English lessons for years, accumulating impressive collections of idiomatic expressions.

But when it came to actual conversation, they'd say things like “I heard it from the horse's mouth that we are having dinner tonight” or constantly claim everyone was “beating around the bush.”

The problem with this approach:

• It sounds unnatural and forced
• Creates awkward conversations
• Shows a fundamental misunderstanding of when to use idioms
• Can make you sound like a “pompous idiot” rather than a fluent speaker

An idiom is something you pull out and use at a very choice moment to make a point – not something you pepper throughout every sentence.

Learning Slang In Context: The Spanish Success Story

However, I've also experienced the flip side. Years ago, my friend Tomás taught me some Spanish idioms that have proven incredibly useful:

• Si siembras, cosecharás – If you sow seeds, you will harvest crops in the future
• No hay mal que por bien no venga – Everything bad that happens, happens for a reason (similar to “every cloud has a silver lining”)

These idioms have been genuinely effective because:

1. I understood them completely when I learned them
2. I already spoke decent Spanish, so I could combine them naturally
3. I learned them in specific contexts where they made sense

The key difference? I learned these expressions when I was already comfortable with the language, allowing me to drop them in at just the right moments.

My Three-Step Approach To Learning Slang Effectively

Step 1: Focus On Context-Relevant Expressions

I only learn slang and idioms that are useful for me in specific contexts.

My Cantonese tutor once taught me “日夜顛倒” (literally “day and night are flipped over”) when I was describing my jet lag from a trip to America. This was perfect because:

• It described exactly what I was experiencing
• I learned it in the moment I needed it
• It's now permanently embedded in my memory because of that context

This is vastly different from buying a book of “101 English Idioms” and trying to memorise them without context – something I see people do all the time, and it makes no sense at all.

Step 2: Learn High-Frequency Expressions

I focus on slang that comes up repeatedly. If you hear something constantly, it's worth paying attention to.

One of the first Cantonese slang expressions I learned was “你個頭” (leg got leg got), which literally means “your head” but is used to say someone's talking rubbish or to disagree with someone. I learned this quickly because:

• It's extremely common
• It's genuinely useful in daily conversation
• I heard it repeatedly in different contexts

Step 3: Accept That You Can't Keep Up With Everything

Here's the reality: there's slang that even native speakers who've lived abroad for a few years get out of date with. You simply can't keep up with everything, and that's perfectly fine.

Instead of trying to learn every new expression, focus on:

• Expressions that serve your specific communication needs
• Slang you encounter repeatedly in your daily life
• Idioms that come up naturally in conversation

Case Study: Learning Japanese Idioms Through Friendship

One Christmas, I was with some Japanese friends, and despite not knowing many Japanese idioms, I learned “雨降って地固まる” (ame futte ji katamaru).

This literally means “after it rains, the earth becomes more solid” – essentially, “every cloud has a silver lining.”

This stuck with me because:

• I learned it in a specific social situation
• It was taught by a friend in natural conversation
• The context made the meaning memorable
• It's a useful expression I can actually use

The Advanced Learner's Advantage

The better you speak the language, the more useful idioms become. When you're just starting out, there's much more to lose than to gain from focusing heavily on slang.

However, at an advanced level, well-used slang and idioms can add fantastic flavour to your language that you really wouldn't get otherwise. They can make people think, “Wow, this person really speaks the language well.”

How To Learn Slang In Context: Your Action Plan

For Beginners:

• Don't worry about slang initially – focus on solid foundations
• Learn only what you hear repeatedly in your daily interactions
• Avoid slang and idiom books without context

For Intermediate Learners:

• Pay attention to high-frequency expressions you encounter regularly
• Learn slang that serves your specific needs and situations
• Practice using expressions in appropriate contexts before using them widely

For Advanced Learners:

• Experiment with well-chosen idioms at strategic moments
• Focus on cultural understanding behind expressions
• Use slang to add flavour, not as a crutch for communication

How To Learn Slang FAQ

Key Takeaways: Learning Slang That Actually Works

Learning slang and idioms shouldn't be something you're over-preoccupied with – they can cause more harm than good if approached incorrectly. However, when learned strategically, they can genuinely enhance your language skills.

Remember these principles:

• Context is king – learn expressions when you need them
• Quality over quantity – a few well-used expressions beat dozens of poorly understood ones
• Timing matters – advanced speakers benefit more from slang than beginners
• Cultural understanding is essential – especially for languages like Cantonese
• Natural acquisition beats forced memorisation every time

The goal isn't to sound like a walking idiom dictionary, but to communicate naturally and effectively whilst adding authentic cultural flavour to your language when appropriate.

Ready to apply these principles? Start by identifying one or two slang expressions you hear frequently in your target language, learn them in context, and practice using them naturally. It's better to master a few expressions thoroughly than to half-learn dozens.

Olly Richards

Creator of the StoryLearning® Method

Olly Richards is a renowned polyglot and language learning expert with over 15 years of experience teaching millions through his innovative StoryLearning® method. He is the creator of StoryLearning, one of the world's largest language learning blogs with 500,000+ monthly readers.

Olly has authored 30+ language learning books and courses, including the bestselling "Short Stories" series published by Teach Yourself.

When not developing new teaching methods, Richards practices what he preaches—he speaks 8 languages fluently and continues learning new ones through his own methodology.