340 results found
Definition: Derived from 'tea restaurant', this is a romanised code-mixing term used by Hong Kong expats to refer to a popular type of restaurant that serves a wide variety of foods, which is said to be the essence of Hong Kong's culture. (Also char chaan teng, cha chaan tang.)
Usage: E.g. “Make no mistake, ‘cha chaan tangs’—literally translated as tea restaurants—are not where you go ‘yum cha’ and eat ‘dim sum’.”
Synonym: 茶餐廳
Definition: Originated from the French words 'chateau' and 'raisin' which is also the name of a Japanese cake shop, this is a code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to describe someone who is so cringey to the point where the person is pooping in his pants.
Usage: E.g. 佢上次飲醉酒喺街上面跳舞,真係柒到瀨屎。(Last time when he got drunk, he went dancing on the street. It was so frigging cringe.)
Synonym: 柒到瀨屎
Reference: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DcvkeO1hHKS/?stkn=N291eml3bWNlNTg0 (use mobile version)
Definition: A code-mixing term used by upper class Hong Kong girls to refer to any sort of dishonest behaviour by men that is unforgivable.
Usage: E.g. 所以當我上網見到啲人寫嗰啲咩唔願意共咩苦,唔係我唔肯共患難,唔係我唔同甘共苦喎,而家係……佢cheat喎!(So when I saw some people's comments on the internet saying that we were not willing to share our suffering, it's not that I refused to share the hardships, it's not that I didn't share the joys and sorrows. It's that... he cheated!)
Synonym: 欺騙
Definition: Known as Kongish, this is a code-mixing term that native Hong Kongers use to describe someone who is crazy, or a situation that is outrageous or unbelievable. (痴線 - ci1 sin3) Literal meaning: To have your electrical wires touching. Ie. Short circuit in the brain.
Usage: E.g. Chi sin! You used all your money to gamble?! E.g. Chi sin! The restaurant gave me the wrong bill! E.g. Chi sin! You won the lottery?!!
Synonym: 痴線
Reference: https://theculturetrip.com/asia/china/hong-kong/articles/8-colloquialisms-unique-to-cantonese
Definition: (idiom) Derived from '雞同鴨講', this is a Kongish code-mixing phrase used by native Hong Kongers to describe two people who are unable to understand each other due to a difference of language or values. In other words, the conversation just seems to go round and round with each person talking over each other.
Usage: E.g. I think we will never understand each other because we work in different departments. What a chicken and duck talk!
Synonym: 雞同鴨講
Reference: https://zolimacitymag.com/pop-cantonese-word-of-the-month-雞同鴨講-chicken-duck-talk/
Definition: (textspeak, vulgar) A Kongish code-mixing term derived from '痴撚線', which is used to describe someone who has gone crazy or insane. (Also see 'chi sin'.)
Usage: E.g. CLS公司俾得果幾千蚊人工仲要人日日OT..
Synonym: 痴撚線
Reference: https://hkdic.my-helper.com/CLS/
Definition: A code-mixing term used by westernised Hong Kongers to refer to going to bars and clubs because they find the Cantonese equivalent terms a lot more suitable for a mature audience.
Usage: E.g. A: 去唔去clubbing呀?B: 你指係邊啲?A: 緊唔係夜總會啦!(A: Do you want to go clubbing? B: Which type are you referring to? A: Of course not nightclubs!)
Synonym: 夜店,夜總會
Reference: https://jyutdictionary.com/dictionary/entry/夜總會
Definition: A code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers as a more practical way of describing someone's willingness to invest time into something because it does not usually mean the person has promised anything.
Usage: E.g. 其實拍拖享受當下就好 唔使俾咁多commitment 唔係叫你做個不負責任嘅仆街 感情冇辦法好似business relationship咁 簽咗約就一定要履行承諾 (Actually, dating and enjoying the moment is fine without giving so much commitment. That is not to say to be an irresponsible bastard. There is just no way to be like a business relationship where once you sign a contract, you must fulfill your promise.)
Synonym: 承諾
Definition: A code-mixing phrase used by native Hong Kongers to describe someone as not having good judgement rather than lacking general knowledge, even though it can refer to both of these things when scolding someone.
Usage: E.g. Common sense 常人應該刷覺到既感通/道理 eg. 今日個女同事打扮得特別靚噴曬香水,放工應該有約會, 個晚最好唔好叫人OT (Common sense is what ordinary people should be aware of using their senses or reasoning. For example, if a female colleague dressed particularly well and sprayed perfume today, then you can guess they probably have a date after work. So you better not ask her to work overtime that night.) E.g. 你有冇common sense架?呢啲咁既野你自己google吓咪得囉!(Do you have common sense? For this kind of stuff you just need to google it yourself!)
Synonym: 常識
Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/718878/page/3
Definition: (noun) A code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers when they want to state a problem or something that needs to be addressed and dealt with.
Usage: E.g. 當然如果錢對你嚟講唔係一個concern,或者呢啲worldly pleasures 對你嚟講你毫無興趣,咁你當然可以去搵更加大嘅意義。例如做吓義工,幫吓社會嘅人。(Of course if money is not a concern for you, or if these worldly pleasures are of no interest to you, then you can certainly search for greater meaning in life. For example, you can go volunteering and help people in the society.)
Synonym: 問題; 需要關注嘅事
Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/3039721/page/2