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Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

A contemporary Cantonese-English dictionary


492 results found

warm up

Definition: A code-mixing term that can also be used to refer to a non-human object. Usage: E.g. 咁快開波?等我warm up吓先。 E.g. 同事A:喂,部機咁慢既? 同事B:部機要warm up吓先得架。

ja ja lum

Definition: Known as Kongish, this is a code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to tell somebody to hurry up, which is similar to the phrase 'chop chop' in English. (Also see 'la la lum') Usage: E.g. Ja ja lum go to school now or you will miss the bus! Eg. Finish your homework! Ja ja lum la!Synonym: 咋咋臨

mute

Definition: A code-mixing term that refers to a person's microphone being muted while in a meeting. Usage: E.g. 同事:喂,我聽唔到呀,你mute左呀。快D搵人叫佢unmute返啦。

la la lum

Definition: Known as Kongish, this is a code-mixing phrase that native Hong Kongers use to get someone to hurry up, which is similar to the phrase 'chop chop' in English. (Also see 'ja ja lum'.) Usage: E.g. La la lum get your homework done! E.g. Leave now or you'll miss the train! La la lum la!Synonym: 嗱嗱臨

mean

Definition: A code-mixing term that is used when you want to avoid describing someone as being '衰' or not nice. Usage: E.g. 男仔:喂,我覺得你咁樣講野好衰呀。女朋友:你話我衰?! E.g. 男仔:喂,我覺得你咁樣講野好mean呀。女朋友:講得岩。我有時講野係mean左D,不過唔至於係衰。

gym

Definition: Often used as 'doing the gym' (做gym) in Cantonese, this refers to doing exercise in the gym.  Sometimes, it is used as 'gym room', which people may mistaken as '健身室室'. Usage: E.g. 一唔一齊去做gym呀? E.g. 我仲喺gym room呀,遲D再call你啦。

I mean

Definition: A tag-switching phrase often used by Native Hong Kongers for clarifying on matters. However, it can sometimes be overused by Fake ABC's to strike a western impression on others. Usage: E.g. 份project未搞掂呀。I mean,我岩岩做完要check吓先。 E.g. 港女:你應該食少D野。I mean,你應該減吓肥至岩。 E.g. 香港人:你講咩話?偽ABC:I mean,well... I mean,我覺得你身材唔係好fit囉I mean。Reference: https://www.academia.edu/8666953/Common_usage_of_code-mixing_among_trilingual_Hong_Kongers

sodiasm

Definition: Known as Kongish, this is a code-mixing term used by local student Hong Kongers to refer to a female janitor or cleaner. Usage: E.g. My aunt is a sodiasm in Queen Elizabeth hospital.Synonym: 掃地阿嬸Reference: https://www.timeout.com/hong-kong/things-to-do/cantonese-slang-you-need-to-know-right-now?utm_campaign=likeshopme&utm_medium=instagram&utm_source=dash+hudson&utm_content=www.instagra

madam

Definition: The Hong Kong way of referring to a female police officer (女警官). Usage: E.g. 女警:Target出現。全世界出動!下屬:Yes, Madam!Synonym: 女警官Reference: https://www.gushiciku.cn/dl/0pydp/zh-hk

document

Definition: A code-mixing term that is often used to refer to a computer document (文件). Usage: E.g. 唔該你send份document過黎呀。記住要pdf喎。Synonym: 文件Reference: https://www.esquirehk.com/mens-talk/simon-shen-hong-kong-english-chinese