Define Your Term | Login
What is code-mixing? | Mission | About | Learn More
English | Chinese

Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

A contemporary Cantonese-English dictionary


103 results found

Skype

Definition: Often pronounced as 'Skypy', this is a code-mixing term that Hong Kongers use to refer to the instant messaging software 'Skype'. Usage: E.g. 你幾時得閒呀?我想用Skypy打比你呀。Reference: https://www.hk01.com/開罐/633876/港式英語-19個英文字港人常讀錯-釘橋-cam錢-janet讀到似中文

memo

Definition: Often pronounced as 'meemo', this is a code-mixing term that Hong Kongers use to refer to memo paper. Usage: E.g. 喂,可唔可以幫我抄D野落張meemo到?Reference: https://www.hk01.com/開罐/633876/港式英語-19個英文字港人常讀錯-釘橋-cam錢-janet讀到似中文

server

Definition: Pronounced as 'serfaah', this is a code-mixing term that Hong Kongers use to refer to a computer server in IT. Usage: E.g. 個server整好未呀?冇理由down左咁耐架?Synonym: 服務器

lecture

Definition: A code-mixing term that local Hong Kong university students love to use instead of '講座', which means a formal talk on a subject by a professor. Usage: E.g. 其實上lecture根本浪費時間。Synonym: 講座Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/475538/page/2

cute

Definition: Often pronounced as 'Q' or used as 'Q-tee', this is a code-mixing term that is used by Hong Kongers instead of '可愛' in Cantonese. Usage: E.g. 哇,個公仔好Q呀! E.g. 港女:你睇吓我今日著得Q唔Q-tee呀?Synonym: 可愛Reference: http://www.cmi.hku.hk/Ref/Article/article02/01.html

movie

Definition: Classified as 'JM tone', this is a code-mixing style adopted by Hong Kong celebrity Janice Man to represent the upper class. (Notice that the letter m is a voiced consonant in this word and should be emphasized for extremely proper pronunciation.) Usage: E.g. 我週末得閒既時候會同朋友去睇mooovie。

printer

Definition: Often pronounced without the 'r' sounds and with a rising tone on the second syllable, this is an a lot more linguistically efficient way of referring to printer (打印機)in Cantonese. Usage: E.g. 內地人:個打印機喺邊呀? 香港人:咩話?三個字咁累贅。叫返printer啦唔該。Reference: http://www.patrickchu.net/uploads/9/0/5/3/9053324/2007_free_ppt.pdf

rocket science

Definition: A code-mixing phrase that overseas educated Hong Kongers use to emphasize that something is not a complex problem. Usage: E.g. 呢個問題唔係rocket science。再一齊諗諗佢就解決得到。Reference: https://www.mi-learning.com/itsnotrocketscience-meaning/

size

Definition: Often pronounced with a '屎' (faeces) at the end of the word, this is a code-mixing term that Hong Kongers use to refer to the overall dimensions of something. Usage: E.g. 請問呢件衫有咩size呀?。Synonym: 大小Reference: http://www.cmi.hku.hk/Ref/Article/article02/01.html

sorry

Definition: A more effortless way of apologising to someone without sounding so formal and serious. Sometimes, it is pronounced as 'sor-li'. Usage: E.g. Sorry呀,踩親你。 E.g. Sorry呀,我遲到左。 E.g.你:對唔住!係我抵死,係我唔岩!朋友:唔洗咁隆重。你:SORRY囉。Reference: https://www.academia.edu/8666953/Common_usage_of_code-mixing_among_trilingual_Hong_Kongers