Instagram
English | Chinese
908 results found
Definition: A code-mixing term that is often used with “啱key”, which refers to whether you get along well with somebody. Explanation: like the key in a piece of music.
Usage: Eg. 你同你朋友啱唔啱key呀？
Reference: https://shyyp.net/hant/phrase/啱key
Definition: A romanised code-mixing term used by westernised Hong Kongers to refer to the red packets of cash given as gifts during Chinese New Year. Even though the first character of the phrase should be pronounced as 'lai' or 'lei' with a short vowel in Cantonese, it is often pronounced as 'laai' with a long vowel when in romanised form, leading to the expression sounding like 'laai see' (瀨屎), which means to poop in one's pants in Cantonese.
Usage: E.g. Expat: Have you got any lai see during Chinese New Year? HK'er: Laai see? Sure! I have laaaai see today. Just kidding.
Synonym: 利是
Reference: https://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/2007/
Definition: A code-mixing term that overseas educated Hong Kongers use to refer to '靚', which describes something as beautiful or good-looking.
Usage: E.g. No, but seriously it’s really lang, you are the one who said hou ce right?
Reference: http://www.lingref.com/isb/4/039ISB4.PDF
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: This is a code-mixing phrase commonly used to replace 最後一日 when the last day of activity is reached.
Usage: E.g. 今日係唔係last day?
Synonym: 最後一日
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
Definition: A romanised code-mixing term that Hong Kong expats use to describe a female who is pretty, or a male who is handsome, or an object that is good-looking.
Usage: E.g. You look very leng today! (你今日好靚呀！) E.g. Wa! This dress ho leng ah! (哇！呢條裙好靚呀！) E.g. You are so leng jai! (你好靚仔呀！)
Synonym: 靚
Reference: https://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,91
Definition: A way to avoid sounding too imaginative when you want to suggest things that are impossible to happen.
Usage: E.g. Let’s say你有日比人老粒左，你會點呢？ E.g. Let’s say你考試肥佬左，你會點面對你家人？ E.g. Let's say你比人打獲金，你會唔會還拖？
Definition: Purportedly to have come from ‘娘’ meaning an old married woman, this is a code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to describe someone’s appearance as old-fashioned.
Usage: E.g. 你今日著衫好leung！(You dress very old-fashioned today!)
Synonym: 娘
Reference: https://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/phorum/read.php?14,140076,140076
Definition: Often used as '升le' (呢), this is a code-mixing term that Hong Kongers use to refer to having made an advancement in something. (升級)
Usage: E.g. 哇！今次考試表現好左好多喎。簡直係升呢呀！
Synonym: 升級
Reference: http://www.cmi.hku.hk/Ref/Article/article02/01.html