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Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

A contemporary Cantonese-English dictionary


466 results found

handle

Definition: A code-mixing term that Hong Kongers like to use when talking about work, as the Cantonese equivalent terms may denote a higher responsibility. Usage: E.g. 呢件事你handle可以嗎?(處理) E.g. 咁多功課hand唔handle到呀?(應付) E.g. 公司既財政邊個handle架?(負責)

office

Definition: A code-mixing term that Hong Kongers like to use instead of '辦公室'. Usage: E.g. 聽日返office定係work from home呀?Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxrKXQowtvk

fax

Definition: A code-mixing term used to refer to the fax machine (傳真機). Often used as 'fax機' or 'fax屎機'. Usage: E.g. 部fax機work唔work呀? E.g. 唔該幫我fax呢張野過去呀? E.g. 請問收唔收到我張fax屎呀?Reference: https://repository.lib.cuhk.edu.hk/tc/item/cuhk-321644

hold

Definition: A code-mixing term used to refer to holding something physically (揸), but with the meaning of waiting for the return of something as well. Usage: E.g. Hold住個電話先。 E.g. 個project兒家hold住左,因為要同個客傾返好先。Reference: https://repository.lib.cuhk.edu.hk/tc/item/cuhk-321644

chaam

Definition: A romanised code-mixing term used to describe how poor (慘) someone is. Usage: E.g. 今次考試肥左真係好chaam。 E.g. 做到扒左喺到咁真係chaamchaam豬。

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

channel

Definition: A code-mixing term that Hong Kongers like to use to refer to the language channel that one is speaking in. Usage: E.g. 做咩成日轉channel講英文呀?你喺到扮ABC呀? E.g. 咪住。等我轉一轉channel講返中文先。

boss

Definition: Often pronounced as '波士', this is a more polite sounding code-mixing term that Hong Kongers often use to refer to '老闆', especially when working in a corporate company. Usage: E.g. 做波士就好啦。我地呢班打工仔一世做奴隸。Reference: https://www.gushiciku.cn/dl/0pydp/zh-hk

chemical reaction

Definition: A code-mixing term that Fake ABC's in Hong Kong use to refer to the 'chemistry' between two people, which is the attraction between them. Usage: E.g. 我覺得佢地都幾有chemical reaction。Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uik5GWvXiLA&t=210s

shopping

Definition: A more neutral-sounding term that native Hong Kongers use to refer to '購物' or '買野', which signify the commitment to buying things. Usage: E.g. 女朋友:我地聽日去商場啦。男朋友:吓?又買野?!女朋友:唔係呀。去shopping咋嘛。 E.g. 女朋友:我地聽日去shopping啦。男朋友:又買野?!女朋友:去window shopping咋嘛。Reference: https://www.academia.edu/1177618/Cantonese_English_code_switching_research_in_Hong_Kong_A_survey_of_recent_research