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Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

A contemporary Cantonese-English dictionary


178 results found

grammar

Definition: Often pronounced as 'grandma', this is a code-mixing term that local Hong Kong students use to refer to the set of rules that define the structure of a language, which can be difficult and annoying sometimes like a grandma.

Usage: E.g. 今次考試要考埋英文grammar。真係好麻煩呀!(The exam will also cover English grammar this time. So frigging annoying!)

Synonym: 語法

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/3389792/page/1

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/

handle

Definition: A code-mixing term that Hong Kongers like to use when talking about work, as the Cantonese equivalent terms may denote a higher responsibility.

Usage: E.g. 呢件事你handle可以嗎?(處理) E.g. 咁多功課hand唔handle到呀?(應付) E.g. 公司既財政邊個handle架?(負責)

headcount

Definition: A code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers as a more technical and corporate way of referring to the number of employees in a company because '人數' sounds too everyday in Cantonese like when getting enough people to play Mahjong together.

Usage: E.g. 大家公司最近咩環境 有冇freeze headcount? (How is everybody's company doing recently? Any company is freezing headcount?)

Synonym: 人數

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/3674159/page/1

Hey man

Definition: A code-mixing phrase that westernised Hong Kongers like to use when they want to show their warmth and passion in befriending others, even when they have known a person for just a short while.

Usage: E.g. Hey man,近排幾好嗎?(How have you been?) E.g. Hey man,吃左飯未呀?(Have you eaten yet?) E.g. Hey man,不如今餐我請呀?(What about I treat you this meal?)

Synonym: 喂,老友

highlight

Definition: A code-mixing term that Hong Kong students like use to refer to highlighting important information with a highlighter pen. (瑩光筆)

Usage: E.g. 學生:等我highlight句野先,方便溫書嗰陣時。 老師:考試時記住帶返支highlighter。冇既就要underline架喇。

Reference: https://www.weekendhk.com/weekspecial/中英夾雜-港式廣東話-香港人-ctb081-hc-1413297/3/

hiking

Definition: A code-mixing term that westernised Hong Kongers like to use to refer to the sport of walking long distances on mountains because they have gotten so used to it and see it as a hobby rather than something laborious like '行山', which literally translates to 'walk mountain'.

Usage: E.g. 今個weekend去唔去hiking呀? 不如今次行遠D呀? (Do you want to go hiking this weekend? What about going on a longer trail?)

Synonym: 行山

Reference: https://letsgohiking.blog/

Holland Bank Cheque

Definition: A code-mixing phrase used by native Hong Kongers when they don’t want to tell somebody directly that they are really f***ing stupid. Even though it looks like a westernised expression, it has a similar pronunciation as '好撚笨柒' in Cantonese, which means 'very f***ing stupid penis'.

Usage: A: 有人話我係"荷蘭銀行支票", 何解??? B: HOLLAND BANK CHEQUE~自己讀~

Synonym: 好撚笨柒

Reference: https://m.discuss.com.hk/index.php?action=thread&tid=9184515

How's it going?

Definition: A code-mixing phrase that real ABC's like to use to show that they are friendly and easy to talk to.  Sometimes, a 'man' is added to the end of the phrase for emphasis.

Usage: E.g. 喂,how's it going?近排幾好嗎? E.g. How's it going man?!今晚得閒去bar嗎?

hygiene

Definition: A code-mixing term that a "Jayden Mami" likes to use to refer more specifically to a person's habit in keeping clean, rather than the broader sense of cleanliness and sanitary conditions that the Cantonese equivalent term "衛生" denotes.

Usage: E.g. Jayden,你攞人啲嘢食之前有冇做好hygiene呀?(Jayden, did you have good hygiene before grabbing somebody else's food?)

Synonym: 衛生

Reference: https://topick.hket.com/article/4112744/Jayden之亂|KOL拍片諷刺「Jayden媽」偽ABC育兒法%E3%80%80揭爆紅現象時間線-港媽式教仔金句

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