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Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

A contemporary Cantonese-English dictionary


873 results found

interesting

Definition: A code-mixing filler term used by westernised Hong Kongers when they don't really find the other person's topic is all that interesting in a conversation.

Usage: E.g. A: 我平時鍾意寫app,去語言交流免費教人廣東話。B: 哦,interesting, interesting... (A: I like writing apps and going to language exchange to volunteer teaching people Cantonese regularly. B: Oh, interesting, interesting...) E.g. 我見外國人成日都用interesting 黎答人,仲要面無表情,會唔會係根本interesting 係外國一直都只係解: 哦⋯⋯. (I often see foreigners use 'interesting' as a response in a conversation, but without facial expression. Could it be that 'interesting' merely means like 'oh....' from a foreigner's perspective?)

Synonym: 很有趣, 哦

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/1047783/page/1

invite

Definition: A code-mixing term that westernised Hong Kongers often use to ask someone to go to an event in a polite and semi-formal manner.

Usage: E.g. A: 可唔可以叫埋我個friend黎?B: 好呀,等我invite埋佢啦。(A: Can you get my friend to come as well? B: Sure, let me invite him.)

Synonym: 邀請

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/2051830/page/2

invoice

Definition: A code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers to refer to the formal document sent by a seller to a buyer as a request for payment, which is be differentiated from a receipt.

Usage: E.g. 你俾完錢收到嘅果張係叫收據,係receipt,但啲大陸人係統一叫發票。(What you receive after payment should be called a receipt, but mainland Chinese people also refer to it as an invoice.)

Synonym: 發票; 請款單

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/2808375/page/1

JD

Definition: Short for 'job description', this is a code-mixing term that Hong Kong HR departments like to use to refer to the piece of text that describes the job nature and responsibilities of a position in a company, which may be long or short depending on how much they want an applicant to know about the job.

Usage: E.g. 又話會send份JD比我睇?你send左去邊度?(I thought you were going to send me the JD to have a look? Where did you send it to?)

Synonym: 工作內容

Reference: https://english.cool/job-description/

jeng

Definition: Known as Kongish, this is a code-mixing term used to describe something that is very good or awesome.

Usage: E.g. The food is so jeng! (正) E.g. The movie was ho jeng ah! (好正呀)

Synonym: 正

Reference: https://theculturetrip.com/asia/china/hong-kong/articles/12-phrases-you-need-to-know-before-you-visit-hong-kong#:~:text=An%20alternative%20to%20“hou%20ging,jeng”%20if%20something%20is%20awesome.

jo sun

Definition: A code-mixing term used by real ABC Hong Kongers to say good morning because they cannot pronounce the Cantonese equivalent words '早晨' properly.

Usage: E.g. ABC:Jo sun! 本土香港人:吓?你講咩話? ABC:Good morning!

Synonym: 早晨

join

Definition: A code-mixing term that native Hong Kongers often use to refer to the act of becoming a part of a group or party, but sometimes without the responsibility or effort of attending or participating.

Usage: E.g. A: 今晚join唔join個after party? B: Join左喇,不過懶得去囉。(Will you join the after party tonight? B: I have joined already, but I'm too lazy to go.)

Synonym: 加入,參加

Reference: https://www.threads.com/@harpymill/post/DT0laZJDJNR/video-唔好意思係咪太遲join個party尋秦記-豎琴-harp-香港

jor

Definition: (textspeak) A Kongish code-mixing term transliterated from ‘咗’, which is equivalent to the ‘-ed’ particle for past tense in English.

Usage: E.g. Jo jor gong for mei ar? (做咗功課未呀?) E.g. Sik jor farn mei ar? (食咗飯未呀?)

Synonym: 咗

Reference: https://hklanguage.home.blog/2019/11/16/the-use-of-transliteration-in-kongish/

jung yi beng

Definition: A romanised code-mixing term used by westernised Hong Kongers to refer to 'secondary two syndrome' in Cantonese, which is someone in their second year of high school and acting childish, as if they are living in their own world. The term was first popularised by the comedian Hikaru Ijuin in a Japanese radio show in 1999.

Usage: E.g. My older brother has jung yi beng – he thinks he is a hero who can save the world.

Synonym: 中二病

Reference: https://www.youngpostclub.com/yp/discover/lifestyle/article/3147729/sup-sup-sui-start-new-school-year-these-cantonese-slang

kai

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?

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