Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

Definition: A code-mixing term that native Hong Kongers like to use to refer to remaining in a place for a short period of time but don’t plan to live for a long time.

Usage: E.g. 你近排去韓國stay左幾耐？(How long did you stay in Korea recently?) E.g. 可唔可以去你屋企stay幾個月？(May I stay at your home for several months?)

Synonym: 逗留

Reference: https://www.threads.com/@sammy.goew/post/DSP4G9Zkqqb/請問有冇香港人會喺曼谷stay多幾日是咁的我開場前寄存咗我部dji同腳架但係我走咗先醒起而寄存點依家已經閂咗-我又今晚機走求好心人幫我取回薄酬

Definition: A code-mixing term that Hong Kong students use to refer to '手提電腦'.

Usage: E.g. 老師，上堂可以比帶自己notebook嗎？

Synonym: 手提電腦

Reference: http://www.patrickchu.net/uploads/9/0/5/3/9053324/2007_free_ppt.pdf

Definition: Often pronounced as ‘ah-lo’, this is a code-mixing term that native Hong Kongers use to refer to the letter ‘r’. Even though some Hong Kongers are aware of the prestigious ‘r’ that is pronounced rhotically, most of them choose not to say it in social situations because it sounds too pretentious like a fake American born Chinese.

Usage: E.g. 去日本旅行要搭JR。(Going on vacation in Japan needs taking the J Ah-lo.) E.g. 請問MTR喺邊到? (May I ask where is the M-tee-ah-lo?)

Synonym: Ah-lo

Definition: A code-mixing term that Hong Kongers use to refer to '手提電腦'.

Usage: E.g. 你部laptop用咩CPU架？好似好快喎。

Synonym: 手提電腦

Definition: A code-mixing term used by Hong Kong parents when they want to train their kids to be more well-behaved and organised without sounding so harsh and verbose.

Usage: E.g. 你今次考試考到咁低分。以後要discipline啲去溫書，知唔知？！(You got such a low mark in the exam this time. From now on, you should have more discipline to study, understand?)

Synonym: 有紀律

Definition: A code-mixing term that Hong Kong students use to refer to '教授'.

Usage: E.g. 有咩唔識快D問Professor啦！ E.g. Professor到未架，咁耐既？

Reference: http://www.patrickchu.net/uploads/9/0/5/3/9053324/2007_free_ppt.pdf

Definition: Often pronounced as ‘cummun’, this is a code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers when they want to express how common something is without making it sound unpopular or nothing special.

Usage: E.g. 做呢個行業好common架咋。(This occupation is so common!)

Synonym: 普遍, 普通

Reference: https://www.instagram.com/p/C04Br91vuJT/ (use mobile version)

Definition: A code-mixing term that Hong Kong students use to refer to '功課'.

Usage: E.g. 喂，聽日交assignment呀，仲係到做咩呀？！ E.g. 呢份assignment可以借黎參考嗎？

Synonym: 功課

Reference: http://www.patrickchu.net/uploads/9/0/5/3/9053324/2007_free_ppt.pdf

Definition: A code-mixing term that upper class Hong Kongers like to use when they want to sound like they are taking the time to choose something, rather than being so picky and indecisive.

Usage: E.g. A: 今個假期你會去邊呀？B: 我仲explore緊有咩options。(A: Where will you go this holiday? B: I am still exploring options.)

Synonym: 探索

Reference: https://www.threads.com/@christineknlau/post/DSXI_fNj5ES/christine呀我份工其實唔錯但總覺得缺少啲嘢-最近好多人同我講類似嘅話人工ok但冇挑戰性同事nice但冇growth公司穩定但好悶呢種感覺我稱之為care

Definition: A code-mixing term that Hong Kong people love to use to refer to afternoon tea '下午茶'.

Usage: E.g. 今日有冇時間食個tea呀？ E.g. 週末不如一齊去high tea好嗎？

Reference: http://www.patrickchu.net/uploads/9/0/5/3/9053324/2007_free_ppt.pdf