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Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

A contemporary Cantonese-English dictionary


290 results found

firm

Definition: A code-mixing term used by local Hong Kong students to describe something or someone being reliable, awesome or decent.

Usage: E.g. 呢間canteen好firm。(This canteen is reliable and decent.) E.g. A: 你今次成績點呀?B: 超Firm呀,一定勁高分!(A: How is your exam result? B: Super awesome, certainly very high marks!)

Synonym: 掂, 穩陣

Reference: https://www.elle.com.hk/life/popular-slangs

focus

Definition: (verb) A code-mixing term used by local Hong Kong students to refer to a less physical directing of attention onto something. Sometimes, it may be used in order to avoid sounding like one has ADHD.

Usage: E.g. 老師,我頭先focus唔到聽書,可唔可以再講多次?(Teacher, I really can't focus on listening to your lecture. Can you repeat again?)

Synonym: 專注; 集中

Reference: https://www.instagram.com/p/CynQSwpSd-P/?img_index=5 (use mobile version)

form

Definition: A code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers to refer to a job application form where loads of information need to be filled in, especially for large companies.

Usage: E.g. 點解D大公司填FORM要咁詳細。又身份證住址生日,有冇得唔填咁詳細? (Why do large companies need you to fill in forms with such detail? For example, ID, address, and birthday. Can we not fill in with such detail?)

Synonym: 表格

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/2545196/page/1

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

gap

Definition: A code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers as a less explicit way of referring to the period of time a person has not worked especially to employers because it tends to sound small and tiny like a door gap.

Usage: E.g. 如果兩個都差唔多,先揀冇gap個個,因為有gap個個驚佢太自由奔放走左去 (If both candidates are almost the same, I'll choose the one without a gap first, because I'm afraid the one with a gap will leave the company quickly like he has too much freedom.)

Synonym: 間隔;空窗期

Reference: https://www.threads.com/@cyanxxlhtc/post/Da7JddCiceG?xmt=AQG0pf5Hjp1xNodTdIwPcyj9CcvjTMv8N8ttW-V49aFNFN6yNnqItPIk82SCv611OJ_rOpqS&slof=1

gau m daap baat

Definition: A Kongish code-mixing phrase that local Hong Kongers use to refer to someone who is off-topic or providing irrelevant answers.

Usage: E.g. Lei dou gau m daap baat! Can you answer my question?!

Synonym: 九唔搭八

Reference: https://hklanguage.home.blog/tag/kongish/

general

Definition: A code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers when they want to describe something as too broad, vague or not specific enough without sounding too judgmental.

Usage: E.g. 啲ad永遠都寫得好general,你唔in過根本唔知人地要咩人。(The job ads are always written in such a general sense. You can never know what they are looking for unless you have been interviewed by them before.)

Synonym: 籠統

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/1789393/page/34

group

Definition: A code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers to refer to a relatively small number of people or things being put together but probably not big enough to be an organisation or entity.

Usage: E.g. 我地間公司係一個group,不如加入我地既whatsapp group再傾吓我地可以點合作?(Our company is a group. What about joining our Whatsapp group so we can talk about how we can work together?)

Synonym: 組, 組織, 集團

Reference: https://resources.ctgoodjobs.hk/article/23487/職場熱話-被迫加入廿個公司group-員工-不停彈訊息-連apple-watch都壞埋

ho sick

Definition: A romanised code-mixing term used by Hong Kong expats to describe something as delicious or very yummy.

Usage: E.g. If you want to say something is delicious in Cantonese, you need to say 'ho sik'. The Jyutping for this is hou2 sik6. The 'sick' needs to be a low sixth tone.

Synonym: 好食

Reference: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/wAqzV4KgPZA

In general

Definition: A code-mixing phrase that overseas educated Hong Kongers use when they want to express their well-educated guess or opinion on a subject matter without sounding so formal and bookish.

Usage: E.g. 呢個program我覺得in general係幾學到野。(I think I can really learn from this program in general.)

Synonym: 一般而言

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/3990504/page/1

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