Define Your Term | Login
What is code-mixing? | Mission | About | Learn More | Lecture Slides
English | Chinese

Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

A contemporary Cantonese-English dictionary


572 results found

update

Definition: A verb-turned-adjective code-mixing term used to describe someone or something as being very up-to-date. However, it is also sometimes used as a verb. Usage: E.g. 你部手機好update喎。(adj.) E.g. Update左個software未呀?(verb)Reference: https://www.inmediahk.net/中英夾雜

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

buddha-type

Definition: An Englishised code-mixing term used to describe someone who is so calm and relaxed like the almighty Buddha such that he or she does not have time to chase the opposite sex, but focuses on work and personal interests only. Sometimes, it is also used to describe someone who does not get angry easily when things happened. Usage: E.g. Why don't you find a girlfriend? Are you the buddha-type person? E.g. *bump* That hurt when you bumped into me! But I'm okay, my friend!Synonym: 佛系Reference: https://www.localiiz.com/post/cantonese-slang-of-the-week-buddha-type

FF

Definition: (verb) Derived from the game "final fantasy", this is a Cantonese slang to refer to someone who fantasizes too much. Usage: Be realistic! Don't FF too much la. Synonym: FantasizeReference: https://www.cantoneseclass101.com/blog/2019/07/23/cantonese-text-slang/

plan

Definition: A more positive-sounding code-mixing term compared to the same item (計劃) in Cantonese.  Often pronounced as 'pan'. Usage: E.g. 做D咩都要plan定先得架麻。 E.g. 做D咩都要計劃好先得架麻。(you may sound like a schemer in this one! XD)Reference: https://aclanthology.org/O09-5003.pdf

Fan Tai Sui

Definition: A romanised code-mixing phrase used by westernised Hong Kongers to refer to a year where one’s Chinese zodiac offends or clashes with the God of Tai Sui, which means the fortune of the year will not be as smooth as others. Usage: I was born in the year of the snake and I am fan tai sui this year! Let’s go to the temple to pray for protection and peace!Synonym: 犯太歲Reference: https://chinesenewyear.net/zodiac/tai-sui/

Oh my God

Definition: A tag-switching phrase overused by Fake ABC's in Hong Kong to create a western appeal. Usage: E.g. Oh my God!今日咁曬我都唔記得帶suncream呀! E.g. Oh my God!我從來都未買過件dress係咁靚架!Reference: https://travel.ulifestyle.com.hk/news/detail/12179/明明無r音都要捲舌-5大令人頂唔順的偽abc特徵/1

build chicken shed

Definition: A Kongish code-mixing phrase that working class Hong Kongers use to describe a business structure that scams people and is prone to collapse or failure, as 'chicken' (雞) in Cantonese can also be used to describe something cheap or weak. Usage: E.g. This company has people coming to work and leaving the job all the time! Such build chicken shed!Synonym: 搭雞棚Reference: https://ukdodgy.com/2024/04/06/scam

schedule

Definition: A code-mixing term that can hardly be replaced by the equivalent item in Cantonese. Usage: E.g. 個project下個月deadline,記住mark低個schedule呀。 E.g. 請問你平時個schedule點架?Reference: https://holiday.presslogic.com/article/224449/港式-廣東話-中英夾雜-口語-香港人-搭lift-食lunch

lol

Definition: Derived from the internet slang 'laugh out loud'. this is a cliche code-mixing term that has grown out of the textspeak medium into human speech. As opposed to 'lol' being such an overused term on the internet where the meaning is often not that literal, the term is used by westernised Hong Kongers to really mean laugh out loud. Usage: E.g. 睇完套戲真係lol左。(I really laughed out loud after watching the movie!)Synonym: 大聲笑, 撈