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Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

A contemporary Cantonese-English dictionary


985 results found

thinking

Definition: A code-mixing term used by local Hong Kong students to cover a range of criteria in an exam such as a person's thought or perspective, process of thinking, mental attitude, reasoning path, etc. Sometimes, it may be a term short for critical thinking.

Usage: E.g. 考作文好睇你個thinking。(A writing exam really tests your thinking.)

Synonym: 諗法; 思路; 思考; 思想; 思維

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/2517481/page/2

training

Definition: A code-mixing term that Hong Kong companies like to use to refer to sessions they provide for employees to equip them with skills, which may or may not be full of actions such as teaching, instructing and nurturing as the -ing term suggests.

Usage: E.g. 吓?你講完一兩句野就當係training?!(What? You just gave a short talk and called this 'training'?!)

Synonym: 訓練, 培訓

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/700190/page/9

training

Definition: A code-mixing term that is more appropriate to use than the equivalent term (培訓)in Cantonese.

Usage: E.g. 你新黎既話,公司係會有training比你。 E.g. A:我今晚要培訓呀。B:吓?你陪邊個呀?!(陪訓)

Reference: https://www.gushiciku.cn/dl/0pydp/zh-hk

war game

Definition: A code-mixing term used by local Hong Kong students to refer to a simulated military battle game where air guns are used. It is more appropriate to use than the Cantonese equivalent ‘野戰‘ because fighting a wild battle has sexual connotations in Cantonese.

Usage: E.g. 男:不如一齊打war game好嗎? 女:好呀 (Boy: What about playing war game together? Girl: Sure!) E.g. 男:不如一齊打野戰好嗎?女:*啪!* (Boy: What about fighting a wild battle together? Girl: *Slap!*

Synonym: 野戰

Reference: https://www.cuhk.edu.hk/lin/cbrc/cbcl/doc/ppt/david_li.pdf

August 15

Definition: It is a slang used in casual, humorous contexts to describe the buttocks, often linked to the roundness of the full moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Usage: My first skateboard experience is i fell on my august 15th as soon as I stood on the board!

Synonym: 八月十五

Reference: https://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/32249/

challenge

Definition: An alternative way of referring to someone who's getting on your nerves, as the equivalent term '挑戰' in Cantonese sounds too much like a real duel or battle and hence too provocative to use.

Usage: E.g. 老闆:夠喇。你唔好係到挑戰我。你:我幾時有挑戰過你呀?! E.g. 老闆:夠喇。你唔好係到challenge我。你:*silence*

Synonym: 挑戰

champagne

Definition: A code-mixing term used by upper class Hong Kongers who have more than a regular habit of drinking champagnes.

Usage: E.g. 今日係禮拜五晚,我地黎支champagne嗱?!

Synonym: 香檳

Ding Ding

Definition: Originated from the warning sounds of the bells when a tram is driving in Hong Kong, this is an Englishised code-mixing term which refers to the tram that can be taken in the Hong Kong Tramways on Hong Kong Island.

Usage: Let's take a tour of Hong Kong Island by taking the Ding Ding!

Synonym: 叮叮, 電車

Reference: https://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/explore/attractions/hong-kong-tramways.html

ferragamo

Definition: A code-mixing term used by the upper class Hong Kongers to refer to the Italian luxury brand. However, the grassroots Hong Kongers pronounce it as '飛甩雞毛', which means the chicken dropping its feathers.

Usage: E.g. A:你著緊咩牌子?飛甩雞毛?B:係Ferragamo呀。

Synonym: 飛甩雞毛

high tech

Definition: (adj) A code-mixing term that Hong Kongers use to describe something that is advanced in technology.  There is a famous quote that goes "High Tech揩野,Low Tech撈野", which describes the volatility of high-tech products as opposed to low-tech products that have a larger market despite high competition.

Usage: E.g. 哇,張枱有自動升降好high tech呀。

Reference: https://www.lib.eduhk.hk/pure-data/pub/201902353/201902353_1.pdf

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