Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

Definition: A code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers to refer more specifically to the legal promises made by a company, especially in a contract or agreement.

Usage: E.g. bonus guarantee 有3個月？有d 公司好仆街係咪都話生意唔好減咁d 架wor (Is it guaranteed to have 3 months of bonus? Some companies are really an epic fail and say their business is not doing good then lower your salary.)

Synonym: 保證

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/2863234/page/3

Definition: A code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to refer to exercise done in the gym. Even though it is often used as '做gym' (do gym), it is not to be confused with 'doing the gym' because the gym is actually the place where people do exercise in native English.

Usage: E.g. 想唔想一齊做gym? (Want to work out / do exercise in the gym together?)

Synonym: 健身; 健身室; 健身室運動

Reference: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/做gym

Definition: A code-mixing term that a "Jayden Mami" likes to use to refer more specifically to a person's habit in keeping clean, rather than the broader sense of cleanliness and sanitary conditions that the Cantonese equivalent term "衛生" denotes.

Usage: E.g. Jayden，你攞人啲嘢食之前有冇做好hygiene呀？(Jayden, did you have good hygiene before grabbing somebody else's food?)

Synonym: 衛生

Reference: https://topick.hket.com/article/4112744/Jayden之亂｜KOL拍片諷刺「Jayden媽」偽ABC育兒法%E3%80%80揭爆紅現象時間線-港媽式教仔金句

Definition: An Englishised code-mixing term used by westernised Hong Kongers to refer to a set of viral videos created by two Hong Kong KOL Matthew (matthewpwj_) and Janice (janicewanwan), where typical Hong Kong modern mothers are being imitated and mocked by their Cantonese-English code-mixing conversation style that is supposedly awkward. Even though "Jayden" is taken as a popular name for boys in Hong Kong, other names such as Eunice, Benson, Hailey and many more are used.

Usage: E.g. Jayden, Mommy told you not to play all day. Have you done your homework?

Synonym: Jayden之亂

Reference: https://www.thestandard.com.hk/social-buzz/article/329055/Jayden-mania-How-a-viral-meme-mocking-Hong-Kong-parenting-is-sweeping-the-internet

Definition: Often associated with negative connotations, this is a code-mixing term used by overseas educated Hong Kongers to show their ability to form valuable opinions after thorough thought, like a lawyer in a court case.

Usage: E.g. 第一次認識人唔好咁快pass judgment啦！(Don't pass judgment so quickly upon knowing a person for the first time!) E.g. 我希望你會接受我既judgment。(I hope you will accept my judgment.)

Synonym: 判斷

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/1787326/page/1

Definition: A romanised code-mixing term used by westernised Hong Kongers to refer to 'secondary two syndrome' in Cantonese, which is someone in their second year of high school and acting childish, as if they are living in their own world. The term was first popularised by the comedian Hikaru Ijuin in a Japanese radio show in 1999.

Usage: E.g. My older brother has jung yi beng – he thinks he is a hero who can save the world.

Synonym: 中二病

Reference: https://www.youngpostclub.com/yp/discover/lifestyle/article/3147729/sup-sup-sui-start-new-school-year-these-cantonese-slang

Definition: A classic Kongish code-mixing term that local Hong Kong students use to refer to picking up, chatting up and courting someone, especially girls. Even though this is considered a more serious term than 'flirting', it is still very often used to describe someone who is just chatting up the opposite sex but not necessarily looking for romance, especially for the long term.

Usage: E.g. Tonight go ng go kau lui? (Want to pick up girls tonight?)

Synonym: 溝

Reference: https://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,39072

Definition: Often mistaken as grammatically incorrect and seen as redundant with ‘out’ conforming to ‘列出‘ in Cantonese, this is a code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers to refer to jotting down a number of items on a piece of paper or device.

Usage: E.g. 你可以先list out所有項目，然後研究每一個點樣做。(You may first list out all the items, then study how each one can be done.)

Synonym: 列出

Reference: https://ludwig.guru/s/list+out

Definition: Pronounced with a rising intonation on the second syllable and with a non-rhotic 'r' sound at the end of the word, this is a code-mixing term that native Hong Kongers use to refer to a small lockable compartment used in a gym or school. As for the reason why the Cantonese equivalent '儲物櫃' is not used, it could be that it makes it sound like it is made in China.

Usage: E.g. Locker好似好少人會講儲物櫃咁。

Synonym: 儲物櫃

Reference: https://ezone.hk/article/2169173/網民嚴選-10-個用英文多過中文表達的生字-網民-同朕-check-下

Definition: A convenient English phrase used by native Hong Kongers to avoid going into negative detail about someone who does not understand you.

Usage: E.g. 朋友: 喂，你講野好唔make sense喎。你：真的嗎？ E.g. 我覺得你講野make sense，不過我唔係太明。 E.g. 你講野都唔make sense，廢鬼事再聽你講。