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Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

A contemporary Cantonese-English dictionary


267 results found

case

Definition: A generic code-mixing term used for a number of Chinese words meaning 'case', in order to maximise communicative efficiency.

Usage: E.g. 喂,阿John。同我follow下個case得嗎?(個案) E.g. 今次呢單case好似唔簡單。(案件) E.g. 呢個病人個case睇嚴重D喎。(病情) E.g. 我明白你個case。(情況)

Synonym: 個案; 案件

MTR

Definition: Pronounced as 'm-tee-ah-lo', this is a code-mixing term used by the grassroot class Hong Kongers to refer to the train station.

Usage: E.g. Foreigner: Excuse me, where is the MTR? HK'er: What? Foreigner: Where is the 'm-tee-ah-lo'? HK'er: Oh I understand! 'm-tee-ah-lo' is over there!

Synonym: 港鐵

entertaining

Definition: A code-mixing term used by entertainment judges to describe a performance as enjoyable to watch without judging the entertainment value itself.

Usage: E.g. 一開始覺得啲vocal好似嗌緊交,但又好 Entertaining (At first it felt like the vocals were arguing, but was very entertaining at the same time.)

Synonym: 有娛樂性

Reference: https://www.nmplus.hk/entertainment/魔音女團-穎喬-陳潔靈-1637287/

LGTM

Definition: A code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers to refer to making the remark "looks good to me" after doing a code review for a programmer, which means the work has been done properly.

Usage: E.g. Review完喇,LGTM!ϵ( 'Θ' )϶

Synonym: 睇落唔錯

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/3878537/page/24

ready

Definition: A code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to refer to a person's mental state that is immediate for action without necessarily having done any preparation. When used in negation form 'not ready', it may mean that preparation is already done but the person is still not ready.

Usage: E.g. 如果一個女仔話鍾意你,但係未ready一齊,要我等,係咩意思 (If a girl says she likes you, but isn't ready to be together with you and asks you to wait, what does that mean?)

Synonym: 準備好

Reference: https://amp.lihkg.com/thread/3629688/page/1

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

harsh

Definition: A code-mixing term used by Hong Kong local students to refer to the quality of being rough or even unkind, in addition to being strict in following rules or standards.

Usage: E.g. 個professor好charm啊,但係有少少harsh... (The professor is very charming, but is a little harsh.)

Synonym: 嚴格; 嚴厲

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/86453/page/4

unlikely

Definition: Purportedly to have come from JobsDB applications, this is a code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers as a less direct way of informing someone the very small chance of good news happening, such as the extension of an employee's contract.

Usage: E.g. 下屬:請問我大唔大可能會續約? 上司:暫時黎講,續約係會unlikely。(Employee: May I ask how likely my contract will extend? Employer: As of now, the chance of extending your contract is unlikely.)

Synonym: 唔大可能; 冇可能

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/2591532/page/1

fake

Definition: Originated from sports and often used with a ‘咗’ in Cantonese denoting past tense, this is a code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to refer to deceiving someone with a posture or misinformation rather than something like a fraud or scam, even though it can be serious at times causing real inconvenience to people.

Usage: E.g. 俾 "轉工要趁後生" 呢句嘢fake咗 (I got misled by the saying "Take the opportunity to change jobs while we are young".)

Synonym: fake咗

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/3004954/page/2

consistent

Definition: A code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to refer to something happening or behaving the same way as before over time.

Usage: E.g. 我:‘I need to stay consistent!’ 講英文人:Consistent 廣東話係乜嘢?(Me: I need to stay consistent! English speaker: What is consistent in Cantonese?)

Synonym: keep住

Reference: https://www.threads.com/@tracywongdc/post/DE-HfeUuJEx

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