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Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

A contemporary Cantonese-English dictionary


707 results found

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

urgent

Definition: A code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers to demand immediate attention towards a matter without sounding like they are in such a hurry or wanting the other person to hurry the f*** up.

Usage: E.g. 呢個係一個urgent既task。B: 明白 (Understood) E.g. 呢個係一個緊急既任務。B: 洗唔洗咁急呀?(Why is there such a hurry?)

Synonym: 緊急

Reference: https://ezone.hk/article/20052634/香港職場中英夾雜用語-內地網民舉30個例子-表示識粵語都無法理解

water

Definition: Known as Kongish, this is code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to refer to money and lots of different things.

Usage: E.g. Blow water. (吹水 - to chat casually or brag about something) E.g. Measure water. (磅水 - to give money) E.g. Return water. (回水 - to return money) E.g. Clear water. (通水 - to give secret info like a test) E.g. Draw water. (抽水 - to get profit or benefit for free) E.g. One lump of water. (一舊水 - one hundred dollars) E.g. What water? (乜水 - who the heck are you?)

Reference: https://topick.hket.com/article/679575/%E5%BB%A3%E6%9D%B1%E8%A9%B1%E8%80%83%E8%B5%B7%E4%BD%A0%E3%80%80%E3%80%8C%E6%B0%B4%E3%80%8D%E5%AD%97%E6%9C%89%E5%B9%BE%E5%A4%9A%E7%A8%AE%E6%84%8F%E6%80%9D%EF%BC%9F

wok

Definition: Known as Kongish and derived from the bowl-shaped Chinese frying pan '鑊' (wok), this is a measure word that is often used by native Hong Kongers to refer to a number of different bad situations.

Usage: E.g. Big wok! (大鑊 - big trouble has occurred) E.g. Big wok explosion! (爆大鑊 - someone revealed a big secret) E.g. Carry wok. (孭鑊 - To take the blame for someone) E.g. Slip a wok. (跣一鑊 - To set somebody up for some trouble) E.g. To make you a wok. (整你一鑊 - To give someone a trouble) E.g. Let's be cooked together in a wok! (同你一鑊熟 - To get someone else into the same trouble as you)

Synonym: 鑊

Reference: https://zolimacitymag.com/pop-cantonese-big-wok-%E5%A4%A7%E9%91%8A-language/

workload

Definition: A code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers to refer to an amount of work in a less quantifiable way, in order to sound less like they are complaining about how much work or burden they have.

Usage: E.g. 仲有task要做?我最近已經多左workload。(There are still tasks to do? I already have more workload recently.)

Synonym: 工作量

Reference: https://www.baby-kingdom.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=23644122

wun gut

Definition: Derived from 'gut' (吉) meaning nothingness or tangerines, this is a romanised code-mixing slang phrase used to describe someone is messing about and wasting time, which purportedly comes from people in the past going into Hong Kong stores just to drink the bowl of soup called 'gut' soup (吉湯) without spending money on the food at all. 'wun' can mean to mix (混) or to transport (運).

Usage: Auntie: Stop tasting my fruits here and there! Are you wun gut?

Synonym: 運吉, 混吉

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

You do the first, I do the fifteenth

Definition: Originated from Ming Dynasty where a husband does the housework for his wife for the latter half of the month, this is a Kongish code-mixing phrase that native Hong Kongers use when they want to retaliate against the wrongdoing of a person, which is like 'eye for an eye' in English.

Usage: E.g. You do the first, I do the fifteenth. If you keep throwing trash in front of my door, then I will do the same to you too! E.g. You do new moon, I do full moon. E.g. You do Lunar New Year, I do Mid-Autumn Festival.

Synonym: 你做初一,我做十五

Reference: https://www.weekendhk.com/weekspecial/你做初一-我做十五-英文-ctb072-jc-1368860/3/

好In

Definition: 顧名思義,是形容人打扮很入時 ,即是in-fashion的意思。(Translation: To describe someone who is dressed very trendy or in fashion.)

Usage: 你今日著得好In喎。(You are dressed very in fashion today.)

Synonym: 時髦

6 7

Definition: (textspeak) Originated from the numbers 6 and 7 sounding similar to '碌柒' meaning 'a stick of dick', this is a Kongish code-mixing term used by local Hong Kong students to describe someone as very dumb and brainless, like a dickhead.

Usage: E.g. 唔好成個6 7咁樣企喺到啦!(Don't be like a dickhead just standing there!)

Synonym: 碌柒

Reference: https://www.instagram.com/reels/DR_ewS2k4Yy/ (use mobile version)

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

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