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


381 results found

put your horse to me

Definition: Known as Kongish, this is a code-mixing phrase that native Hong Kongers use to tell the other person to bring it on! (放馬過來) Usage: E.g. I am not afraid of playing against you. Put your horse to me!Synonym: 放馬過來Reference: https://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/phorum/read.php?3,139574,139575

Ga yau

Definition: Derived from 'add oil' in Cantonese, this is a Kongish code-mixing phrase that local Hong Kongers use to express encouragement and support for another person. Usage: Ga yau! You can win this game!Synonym: 加油

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

See you tomorrow

Definition: It's slang for when a person eats something and it's unsuccessfully digested. Resulting in the food being pooped out the next day still intact. Usage: I'll pass on corn or string mushrooms guys. I don't want a "see you tomorrow" situation happening tomorrow morning

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/

bonus

Definition: A chic-sounding code-mixing term that refers to year-end bonus (花紅) in Cantonese. Usage: E.g. 你間公司今個年尾有bonus嗎?Reference: https://aclanthology.org/O09-5003.pdf

movie

Definition: Classified as 'JM tone', this is a code-mixing style adopted by Hong Kong celebrity Janice Man to represent the upper class.  (Notice that the letter m is a voiced consonant in this word and should be emphasized for extremely proper pronunciation.) Usage: E.g. 我週末得閒既時候會同朋友去睇mmmovie。

long time no see

Definition: Pronounced as 'long tie lo see', this is a code-mixing term used by grassroots class Hong Kongers for greeting someone they have not seen for a long time. Usage: E.g. 喂!Long tie lo see!Reference: https://www.esquirehk.com/mens-talk/simon-shen-hong-kong-english-chinese

big tangerine and red packets

Definition: Known as Kongish, this is a code-mixing phrase that native Hong Kongers when someone sneezes, which is similar to 'Bless you!' in English. (大吉利是) Usage: E.g. A: Ack-choo! B: Big tangerine and red packets!Synonym: 大吉利是

fail

Definition: Often transliterated and pronounced as the loan phrase '肥佬' meaning 'fat guy', this is a code-mixing term that native Hong Kongers use to describe getting an unsuccessful result when doing something. Sometimes, it can be shortened to '肥' (fat) as a verb. Usage: E.g. 哎呀!今次考試肥左佬! E.g. 唔係掛?考咁多次都肥?!Synonym: 肥佬Reference: https://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/16296/