Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

Definition: A code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to refer to someone who is silly and stupid. ie. An imbecile.

Usage: E.g. 唔好成日咁KAI喺到亂咁嗌啦！你係低能定係白痴架？！ E.g. Don't be so kai yelling all the time! Are you low b or an idiot?

Definition: A code-mixing phrase that overseas educated Hong Kongers use to emphasize that something is not a complex problem.

Usage: E.g. 呢個問題唔係rocket science。再一齊諗諗佢就解決得到。

Reference: https://www.mi-learning.com/itsnotrocketscience-meaning/

Definition: Made popular by an anti-drug advertisement featuring Hong Kong celebrity Aaron Kwok, this is a code-mixing term that native Hong Kongers use with the Cantonese word '嘢', which means 'take drugs' altogether, even though 'take嘢' literally means 'take thing'.

Usage: E.g. 保安局禁毒宣傳品出現「公關災難」，令「一齊企硬 唔take嘢」標語，在柱面上呈現「齊企硬 Take嘢」。There was a "PR disaster" in the Security Bureau's anti-drug promotional materials, which caused the slogan "Stand firm together, don't take any drugs" to be presented as ""Stand firm together and Take Drugs".

Synonym: take嘢, take drugs

Reference: https://www.instagram.com/p/DWGb-PriJLK/?igsh=b3Vwa2xmNHFuZ2Qz (use mobile version)

Definition: A useful alternative if your boss is tired of hearing the word 'somehow' when you want to avoid saying 'I don't know' to a question.

Usage: E.g. For some reason個file corrupt左。 E.g. For some reason個printer壞左。 E.g. For some reason今次個客唔搵我地。

Definition: Derived from '母校', this is a Kongish code-mixing term that refers to a school that a person has graduated from. ie. Alma mater.

Usage: Well I’m a Catholic. I believe in what I have been taught when I was in my mother secondary school, Wah Yan Kowloon.

Synonym: 母校

Reference: https://www.inmediahk.net/node/政經/李家超透露是天主教徒-感謝「mother-secondary-school」教誨

Definition: (verb) A code-mixing term meaning to continue doing or retain control of something.

Usage: E.g. 日日keep fit先會健康架。 E.g. 你D身材keep得幾好喎。 E.g. 我地以後keep contact啦。 E.g. 不如keep in touch好唔好？

Synonym: 保持

Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxrKXQowtvk

Definition: (adj.) A code-mixing term used to describe someone or something as being very trendy.

Usage: E.g. 哇，你今日著得好IN呀。 E.g. 聽返D流行音樂，咁先夠IN架嘛。 E.g. 做後生仔要夠IN先得架嘛。

Reference: https://www.gushiciku.cn/dl/0pydp/zh-hk

Definition: An Englishised code-mixing phrase used by westernised Hong Kongers to describe having an overly powerful ability to do something, such as winning a game.

Usage: E.g. I can't believe you are winning every game! Are you bending machine?!

Synonym: 屈機

Reference: https://www.localiiz.com/post/culture-local-stories-guide-hong-kong-cantonese-slang-internet

Definition: A romanised code-mixing term that is used by Fake ABC's in Hong Kong to refer to '核突', which refers to something that is aesthetically unpleasant or ugly.

Usage: E.g. 港女：Im so broke so I went into a random updup maiseen place eat din alone but then I realize the place is too dirty and updup and ppl ard me dou ho dirty and wuddud...

Synonym: 核突

Reference: https://topick.hket.com/article/2254771/wuddud＝核突%E3%80%80港女「流利」港式英語投訴米線店考起網民

Definition: A code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers as a trendier way to refer to artificial intelligence because it sounds more powerful like an entity that is capable of operating on its own rather than something that is just man-made as the Cantonese term denotes.

Usage: 上司：萬一發現AI可以取代你，高層要郁你我都保你唔住呀。你見我隻字不提你就好醒水啦，AI咁勁，分分鐘郁埋我㗎死仔 (Boss: In case people find out that AI can replace you, I can't protect you if the senior executives have to fire you. You see I am not mentioning anything to them so you better be smart. Since AI is so powerful, it might even fire me in a minute, you brat.)

Synonym: 人工智能

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/3874628/page/1