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Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

A contemporary Cantonese-English dictionary


766 results found

yo!

Definition: A code-mixing term that the Hong Kong actor Dicky Cheung (張衛健) loves to use in the "Journey of the West" Cantonese TV episode, in order to display the almighty character of Sun Wukong, the Monkey King.

Usage: E.g. Yo!打妖精咋麻,洗乜驚呀?!

Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jtl4WF0RwWI&t=224s

You big me?

Definition: Derived from '你大我?‘, this is a Kongish code-mixing phrase that native Hong Kongers use when they feel that someone is bluffing them by a display of confidence.

Usage: E.g. You big me? 我big返你and give you some color you see呀!(你大我?我大返你再比D顏色你睇呀!)

Synonym: 你大我?

You do the first, I do the fifteenth

Definition: Originated from Ming Dynasty where a husband does the housework for his wife for the latter half of the month, this is a Kongish code-mixing phrase that native Hong Kongers use when they want to retaliate against the wrongdoing of a person, which is like 'eye for an eye' in English.

Usage: E.g. You do the first, I do the fifteenth. If you keep throwing trash in front of my door, then I will do the same to you too! E.g. You do new moon, I do full moon. E.g. You do Lunar New Year, I do Mid-Autumn Festival.

Synonym: 你做初一,我做十五

Reference: https://www.weekendhk.com/weekspecial/你做初一-我做十五-英文-ctb072-jc-1368860/3/

you know

Definition: A tag-switching phrase overused by Fake ABC's in Hong Kong to create a western appeal.

Usage: E.g. You know, 我成日去做gym緊係fit啦, you know。 E.g. 我係上等人咁緊係成日夾雜英文啦, you know?

Reference: https://travel.ulifestyle.com.hk/news/detail/12179/明明無r音都要捲舌-5大令人頂唔順的偽abc特徵/1

yum cha

Definition: An Englishised Cantonese phrase that real ABC Hong Kongers use to refer to going to a traditional Chinese restaurant for dim sum. (飲茶)

Usage: E.g. Let's go to yum cha this weekend!

Synonym: 飲茶

zero chicken egg

Definition: A Kongish code-mixing term that local Hong Kong students use to emphasize the zero mark they got in a test or exam, which they like to honour themselves with because not only a chicken egg has the shape of the zero number, but also it has become a friendly treat that they are used to eating all the time.

Usage: E.g. Oh no! I got a zero chicken egg in my exam again!

Synonym: 零雞蛋

Reference: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/零雞蛋

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