Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

Definition: A code-mixing term used by Hong Kong court judges to refer to demonstrating and establishing the truth or validity of something by providing evidence and argument, which is especially strong to use in a court of law.

Usage: E.g. 官：呢個，如果因為part of the prosecution case 嘅話，你一定要prove 嘅。(Judge: If this is part of the prosecution case, you must prove it.)

Synonym: 證明

Reference: https://hkupress.hku.hk/image/catalog/pdf-preview/9789888528202.pdf

Definition: A code-mixing term used by overseas educated Hong Kongers to describe people with high standards of social, moral and ethical behaviour which covers everything from the way they look, dress, and talk.

Usage: E.g. 我覺得呢個行業既人都係好proper。(I think everybody in this industry are so proper.)

Synonym: 規矩, 正當, 得體

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/4012349/page/1

Definition: A code-mixing term used by overseas educated Hong Kongers when they want to ask for a deeper analytical understanding of something.

Usage: E.g. 你睇完本書有咩insight? (What insights do you have after reading the book?)

Synonym: 見解; 睇法

Reference: https://www.lib.eduhk.hk/pure-data/pub/202301935/202301935_1.pdf

Definition: A code-mixing term that is used when you really care not to offend someone.

Usage: E.g. Frankly speaking呢，我覺得你唔夠ｑｕａｌｉ囉。 E.g. Frankly speaking呢，我對你既印象麻麻地囉。 E.g. Frankly speaking呢，我覺得你好扮野囉。

Definition: A code-mixing term used by overseas educated Hong Kongers to refer to the school that a person had graduated from. However, working class and grassroots Hong Kongers may know this term but not use it because it sounds too Latin than English. Hence, they find ‘mother school’ is more sensible and practical to use.

Usage: E.g. 你既alma mater係邊間學校？

Synonym: 母校, mother school

Reference: https://youtube.com/shorts/Br8CWgYQNak?si=aFaIMvdv2YSnCxvh

Definition: A code-mixing term used by overseas educated Hong Kongers to refer to not being strict enough when managing people. Also, it often tends to depict a weakness in character by describing a person is not forceful or harsh enough.

Usage: E.g. 同事話我太soft管唔到學生，我聽完好灰。(My colleague said I am too soft and cannot manage students like this. I felt very grey afterwards.)

Synonym: 不嚴厲

Reference: https://www.instagram.com/reels/DU-fcZMgjI7/ (use mobile version)

Definition: With 'I' for introvert and 'E' for extrovert, this is a code-mixing term used by overseas educated Hong Kongers who are very knowledgeable or obsessed about the MIBT (Myerrs Briggs type indicator) or the 16 personalities test.

Usage: E.g. A: 你係I人定E人？B: 我唔係好知，有可能係雙面E人。(A: Are you an introvert or extrovert? B: I don't know. Maybe I am a two-faced extrovert.)

Synonym: Introvert, extrovert

Reference: https://resources.ctgoodjobs.hk/article/37733/mbti-i人同e人區別-10種情境解析-一秒分辨你係-i人定e人

Definition: A code-mixing term that Hong Kong teachers love to use to imply to students that there is some standard to adhere to or duty to be taken for the task given to them, rather than something that requires much effort as the Cantonese phrase ‘功課‘ denotes.

Usage: E.g. 記住assignment要自己做，唔好抄人地或用AI。(Remember that you must do the assignment by yourself, and not copy others or use AI.)

Synonym: 功課

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/1883876/page/1

Definition: A code-mixing phrase used by overseas educated Hong Kongers to refer to a unique or distinct competitive edge that a person or company has over others, which is often something that they were born with or started with. The phrase also tends to be more positive and optimistic than the Cantonese equivalent terms, even though some may think the opposite is true.

Usage: E.g. 林作：個世界就係唔公平。你要做既，就係要用任何你身上有可能既unfair advantage。如果你唔識用你靚仔呢樣野，令人覺得你靚仔D，至少比你做intern，咁你就係傻仔。(Jo Lam: The world is unfair as we know it. What you need to do is to make use of any sort of unfair advantage that you intrinsically have. If you don't know how to make use of your advantage in having good looks or make others think you are better looking so that they would at least give you a job as an intern, then you are an idiot.)

Synonym: 不公平的優勢; 不平等的優勢

Reference: https://www.facebook.com/reel/2975035002684251

Definition: A code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to display your level of knowledge, as if you come from higher education background.

Usage: E.g. 老闆：我覺得呢個idea好有potential。快D走去落實啦。 E.g. 我覺得你個人好有potential。不過就寸左Ｄ。