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Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

A contemporary Cantonese-English dictionary


294 results found

off topic

Definition: A code-mixing term used by Hong Kong local students as a casual way of labelling something as not related to the topic matter at hand.

Usage: E.g. off topic講兩句: 文理都緊要,理科是硬道理,但文科(文學、歷史;或者是哲學)才是中學教育中唯一認真(seriousness)的科目。(Let me make a few off-topic remarks: Both arts and sciences are important, with sciences being the most important, but arts (literature, history, or philosophy) are the only subjects in secondary education that require seriousness.)

Synonym: 跟話題無關

Reference: https://www.threads.com/@yuxichau/post/C5vuQ64SgYQ?hl=en

keep fit

Definition: A code-mixing phrase used by native Hong Kongers to refer to staying healthy and in good shape by doing physical exercise.

Usage: E.g. 平時食咁多野又忙住做野,要keep fit先得架!(If you eat a lot regularly and are busy working all the time, you should keep fit!)

Synonym: 保持身體健康

Reference: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Za8b2zE0uYg

as

Definition: A code-mixing term that native Hong Kongers use when they want to illustrate a point from a certain person’s role, but without much emphasis on what it means to be in that role entirely.

Usage: E.g. 或者只係as一個消費者去against for尊重及權益:呢個只係好first step嘅抗議。我地有權維護自己利益,再而就罷買 (Or just as a consumer to against for respect and rights - This is just a very first step protest. We have the right to uphold our own interests and then boycott as a consumer.)

Synonym: 作為

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/113938/page/23

surprised

Definition: Often pronounced without the 'd', this is a neutral-sounding code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers when they are not sure which Cantonese equivalent word to use when something unexpected happens.

Usage: E.g. 哇,你考試咁高分,我好surprised呀。(Wow, you scored a high mark in your exam. I'm so surprised.) E.g. 哇,你最近減肥呀?我好surprised呀。 (Wow, you went on a diet recently? I'm so surprised.) E.g. 哇,你有男朋友?我好surprised呀。(Wow, you got a boyfriend? I'm so surprised.)

Synonym: 驚喜,驚訝

Reference: https://tsangyoksing.hk/2009/10/06/輕音節的正確讀法/

cheat

Definition: A code-mixing term used by upper class Hong Kong girls to refer to any sort of dishonest behaviour by men that is unforgivable.

Usage: E.g. 所以當我上網見到啲人寫嗰啲咩唔願意共咩苦,唔係我唔肯共患難,唔係我唔同甘共苦喎,而家係……佢cheat喎!(So when I saw some people's comments on the internet saying that we were not willing to share our suffering, it's not that I refused to share the hardships, it's not that I didn't share the joys and sorrows. It's that... he cheated!)

Synonym: 欺騙

Reference: https://www.hk01.com/即時娛樂/60360165/jw剖白被背叛仍硬食拜金標籤真相-痛斥網絡風氣-永遠女仔就係雞?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=01appshare

discipline

Definition: A code-mixing term used by Hong Kong parents when they want to train their kids to be more well-behaved and organised without sounding so harsh and verbose.

Usage: E.g. 你今次考試考到咁低分。以後要discipline啲去溫書,知唔知?!(You got such a low mark in the exam this time. From now on, you should have more discipline to study, understand?)

Synonym: 有紀律

sure

Definition: Often pronounced in two syllables as 'shu-ah' and used with ‘唔‘ (not), this is a cool sounding code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers when they want to express absolute uncertainty over a subject matter in an informal setting.

Usage: E.g. 佢係唔係好叻?我唔sure。(Is he really smart? I am not sure.) E.g. 今日會唔會落雨?我唔sure。(Will it rain today? I am not sure.) E.g. 佢阿媽係唔係女人?我唔sure。(Is his mom a woman? I am not sure.)

Synonym: 肯定

Reference: https://www.discuss.com.hk/viewthread.php?tid=30817621

solo trip

Definition: A code-mixing term used by upper class Hong Kongers to describe going on a trip by oneself without sounding so alone or single.

Usage: E.g. 放假時我比較鍾意solo trip,因為咩都唔洗煩。(I like going on solo trips during holiday because I don't need to bother with anything else.)

Synonym: 單獨旅行, 獨旅

Reference: https://www.elle.com.hk/life/solo-trip

sauce

Definition: A code-mixing term that westernised Hong Kongers love to use to refer to anything that looks like a sauce.

Usage: E.g. 半唐番: 可唔可以比啲sauce我? 香港人: 唔係sauce黎架,係醋!(ABC: Can you pass me the sauce? Hong Konger: It's not sauce. It's vinegar!) E.g. 半唐番: 可唔可以比啲sauce我? 香港人: 唔係sauce黎架,係豉油!(ABC: Can you pass me the sauce? Hong Konger: It's not sauce. It's see-yau!)

Synonym: 醬

Reference: https://auntieemily.com/soy-sauce-chow-mein/

big lemon coke

Definition: Known as Kongish and derived from '大檸樂', this is a more euphemistic way of saying the vulgar expression '大撚鑊', which means a big f***ing serious trouble has occurred.

Usage: E.g. I forgot to hand in my assignment yesterday. Big lemon coke!

Synonym: 大檸樂

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