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Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

A contemporary Cantonese-English dictionary


892 results found

dead cow's one-sided neck

Definition: Known as Kongish, this is a phrase used by native Hong Kongers to describe someone who is so stubborn that their neck is like leaning towards one side.

Usage: E.g. Listen to us for once! Don't be always so dead cow's one-sided neck la!

Synonym: 死牛一邊頸

deadline

Definition: A code-mixing term used by Hong Kong teachers to make it clear and explicit that their students are essentially dead if they hand in their homework or assignment late, as the Cantonese equivalent phrase ‘截止日期’ does not denote the meaning of death at all.

Usage: E.g. 聽日就係deadline, 唔交功課就零雞蛋!(Tomorrow is deadline. If you do not hand in your homework, you will get a zero mark!)

Synonym: 截止日期

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/809281/page/1

deadline

Definition: A code-mixing term often used by overseas educated Hong Kongers to refer to the day that work must be handed in and finalised.

Usage: E.g. 老闆:下次知道要搞咁耐就早D返公司喇。 下屬:你話有野要交比個客睇,但係冇話過係deadline喎。 E.g. 老闆:今日係deadline,做唔完野要OT。 下屬:D野一早就做哂喇。

Synonym: 截止日

debate

Definition: A code-mixing term that local Hong Kong students love to use to refer to having an argument with another person in a peaceful, academic manner.

Usage: E.g. 我同我個男朋友平時好鍾意嗌交,嗌吓呢樣又嗰樣,不過都係debate姐。(I like to argue with my boyfriend all the time, about this and that, but it's just debating.)

Synonym: 辯論

Reference: https://www.threads.com/@yyanchi._/post/C3_6NO0ySjE?hl=zh-hk

deep talk

Definition: A code-mixing term that native Hong Kongers use as a more socially appealing way to refer to a conversation that goes beneath the surface to explore a person's inner thoughts, which everyone knows it can be hard to initiate with someone or even mention.

Usage: E.g. 但每個人對deep talk既定義都唔同。我本身覺得deep talk應該係d要用下腦既話題 (But everyone's definition of deep talk is different. I actually think deep talk should refer to topics that require us to think a little bit.)

Synonym: 深度對話

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/3598156/page/1

del

Definition: Pronounced as 'dee', this is a code-mixing term that native Hong Kongers to refer to using the 'delete' button on a keyboard to get rid of something when using the computer.

Usage: E.g. Del左呢個paragraph,再加返個conclusion,然後再send比我啦。

Reference: https://www.lib.eduhk.hk/pure-data/pub/201902353/201902353_1.pdf

delay

Definition: A code-mixing term that is often used to describe something that happened at a later time than expected. (延遲)

Usage: E.g. 今次班機delay左好耐。下次搵第二間航空公司喇!

Synonym: 延遲

depends

Definition: A way to sound more certain and less hesitant when your friend/boyfriend/girlfriend is asking you whether you want to do something with him or her.

Usage: E.g. 朋友: 聽日去唔去睇戲呀? 你: Depends啦。 E.g. 女朋友: 係咪聽日去shopping呀? 你: Depends啦。 E.g. 女朋友: 係咪聽日去shopping呀? 你: 睇下點啦。 *啪!*

Synonym: 睇下點

deserve

Definition: Known as 'JM tone', this is a code-mixing word that Hong Kong celebrity Janice Man use to refer to reserving someone, even though it is criticised as Fake ABC English due to a most likely wrong word usage.

Usage: E.g. 上天會deserve一個好好嘅人等緊我。(意思:reserve)

Reference: https://inews.hket.com/article/1522091/Janice%20Man英文教室%20%20教你練成JM%20Tone

detail

Definition: (adj.) A code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers to describe the small miniscule parts of something or something as being comprehensive.

Usage: E.g. 因為隻舞係我哋自己編,Sean同大Hugo編,佢哋知道個detail位係邊,佢哋講得好清楚,所以就好快上手啦 (Because the dance was being arranged by us - Sean and Hugo. They knew the detailed parts of it and explained it very well so we could learn it so quickly.) E.g. 洗唔洗咁detail呀? (Does it need to be that detailed / comprehensive?)

Synonym: 細緻; 詳細

Reference: https://www.instagram.com/p/DZHDDcIFiMy/?igsh=MW00bDQyZ2ZvdHkwMQ== (use mobile version)

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