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Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

A contemporary Cantonese-English dictionary


832 results found

blow water without wiping mouth

Definition: Derived from '吹水唔抹嘴', this is a Kongish code-mixing term that refers to someone who brags about his or her achievements and doesn't take any responsibility for it. ie. To talk bullsh*t.

Usage: E.g. Don't believe in what he says! He likes blowing water without wiping mouth all the time! (唔好信佢講既野!佢成日都鍾意喺度吹水唔抹嘴!)

Synonym: 吹水唔抹嘴

show me your love rice

Definition: Translated from the punning of ‘粟米肉粒飯’ (shuk mai yuk lup fan), this is a Kongish code-mixing term that refers to a rice dish with creamed corn and pork served in Hong Kong Cha Chaan Tang restaurants.

Usage: E.g. Excuse me, may I have a ‘show me your love rice’?

Synonym: 粟米肉粒飯

Reference: https://hklanguage.home.blog/2019/11/12/kongish-a-new-language-of-hong-kongers/

sheung tong

Definition: (textspeak) A Kongish code-mixing term used by local student Hong Kongers to refer to attending a lesson. (上堂 )

Usage: E.g. Nei gum yat sheung ng sheung tong ar? (你今日上唔上堂呀?)

Synonym: 上堂

Reference: https://hklanguage.home.blog/2019/11/12/kongish-a-new-language-of-hong-kongers/

gun

Definition: (textspeak) Transliterated from ‘緊‘, this is a Kongish code-mixing term that is added to the end of verbs to denote the sense of ongoing, just like the ‘ing’ in English as in ‘doing’.

Usage: E.g. Nei jo gun d meh ar? (你做緊d咩呀?) E.g. Ngo sik gun farn ah. (我食緊飯呀)

Synonym: 緊

Reference: https://hklanguage.home.blog/tag/kongish/

chicken and duck talk

Definition: (idiom) Derived from '雞同鴨講', this is a Kongish code-mixing phrase used by native Hong Kongers to describe two people who are unable to understand each other due to a difference of language or values. In other words, the conversation just seems to go round and round with each person talking over each other.

Usage: E.g. I think we will never understand each other because we work in different departments. What a chicken and duck talk!

Synonym: 雞同鴨講

Reference: https://zolimacitymag.com/pop-cantonese-word-of-the-month-雞同鴨講-chicken-duck-talk/

polly shum

Definition: Transliterated from '玻璃心' meaning 'heart made of glass', this is a code-mixing phrase used by local student Hong Kongers to refer to someone who can be easily hurt and broken, just like as fragile as glass.

Usage: E.g. He is very manly but he is actually a polly shum when it comes to love.

Synonym: 玻璃心

Reference: https://www.timeout.com/hong-kong/things-to-do/cantonese-slang-you-need-to-know-right-now

gur

Definition: Also written as '啹' in Cantonese, this is a code-mixing term that refers to the feeling of accepting somebody who is an adversary.

Usage: E.g. 佢上次嬴我令到我好唔gur,不過今次我嬴返佢我就gur哂。

Synonym: 啹

Reference: https://words.hk/zidin/v/啹

sure win

Definition: Often added after '一定', this is a code-mixing phrase used by native Hong Kongers to refer to being absolutely certain that you will win, like in a bet or game.

Usage: E.g. 今次D牌咁靚,一定sure win啦! E.g. 你咁有學歷同咁smart,面試一定sure win啦!

Synonym: 必勝

Reference: https://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/61304/

9up

Definition: (textspeak) Derived from '狗噏' meaning 'dog uttering', this is a Kongish code-mixing term that refers to talking non-sense, like bullsh*t. It is also often pronounced as '鳩噏' as a vulgar expression.

Usage: E.g. Stop 9up and bragging about your achievements all the time! (唔好成日喺到鳩噏車大炮啦!)

Synonym: 狗噏, 鳩噏

Reference: https://evchk.fandom.com/zh/wiki/9up

O mouth

Definition: Derived from 'O嘴', this is a Kongish code-mixing term that refers to feeling surprised and astonished to the point where your mouth literally opens in an O shape.

Usage: E.g. I was O mouth to see the football match turned around! (今次場波反敗為勝,真睇到我O哂嘴。)

Synonym: O嘴

Reference: https://www.scmp.com/yp/discover/lifestyle/features/article/3096419/learn-cantonese-slang-many-faces-hongkongers

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