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Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

A contemporary Cantonese-English dictionary


873 results found

seven head

Definition: Known as Kongish and derived from '柒頭' in Cantonese, this is a code-mixing phrase used by native Hong Kongers to describe or scold someone who is stupid and brainless like a dickhead. (龜頭)

Usage: E.g. You seven head go and collect skin! (你個柒頭去收皮啦!)

Synonym: 柒頭

Reference: https://www.topprint2000.com/online-shop/product/1131018/

share

Definition: An overused code-mixing term that Hong Kongers use to refer to sharing something.

Usage: E.g. 快D po你D相上網同大家share吓啦。 E.g. 去完旅行買左D咩好野同大家share吓啦。 E.g. 今日開會有咩想同大家share吓呢?

Synonym: 分享

sharp

Definition: 1. (adj) A code-mixing term that Hong Kongers use to describe a person being clever or quick to notice things. Sometimes, it is used as 'sharp醒'. 2. (adj) Used to describe someone's appearance as being too eye-catching.

Usage: E.g. 哇,乜今日咁sharp醒呀?咁快做哂D野? E.g. 呢件衫D顏色太sharp喇。

Reference: http://www.cmi.hku.hk/Ref/Article/article02/01.html

shopping

Definition: A more neutral-sounding term that native Hong Kongers use to refer to '購物' or '買野', which signify the commitment to buying things.

Usage: E.g. 女朋友:我地聽日去商場啦。男朋友:吓?又買野?!女朋友:唔係呀。去shopping咋嘛。 E.g. 女朋友:我地聽日去shopping啦。男朋友:又買野?!女朋友:去window shopping咋嘛。

Reference: https://www.academia.edu/1177618/Cantonese_English_code_switching_research_in_Hong_Kong_A_survey_of_recent_research

shopping

Definition: A chic-sounding code-mixing term used in Hong Kong Cantonese that shows the speaker's education background and western appeal.

Usage: E.g. 唔好意思,我週末要去shopping。唔得閒應酬你。 E.g. 做人唔shop下ping邊得呀?

Synonym: 購物

Reference: https://sites.google.com/site/hongkonglinguistics/Downhome/language-contact-in-hong-kong/cantonese-englishintra-sententialcode-switchinginhongkong

short

Definition: (adj.) insane; malfunctioning; derived from "short circuit". Often used as "sot sot deih", meaning a little insane.

Usage: E.g. 你契爺凍到short咗. (Your godfather is freezing to the point of insanity.) E.g. 部冷氣機short左。快D搵人黎整返佢啦。

show off

Definition: A code-mixing term that Hong Kongers often use instead of '炫耀', which sounds too formal to be used in conversation.  Also used as 'show qualie' sometimes.

Usage: E.g. 唔好成日係到show off啦。知道你勁喇。E.g. 成日講野都夾雜英文。你喺到show qualie呀?

shut up

Definition: Pronounced as 'shalup', this is a code-mixing term used to tell somebody to shut up immediately.

Usage: E.g. 好鬼嘈呀!快D shalup啦! E.g. 同學:Shalup!老師就快到喇!

Synonym: 收聲

shuttle

Definition: Often said without a 'bus', this is a chique sounding code-mixing term that working class Hong Kongers use to refer to a vehicle that has more specific and direct route to a destination. However, the Cantonese equivalent '穿梭巴士' may be used more often during holiday as it may sound more enjoyable and less 'chur' to ride on.

Usage: E.g. 我每日返工都有得搭shuttle,好快就到公司。 (I can take the shuttle to work every day and get to to office very fast.)

Synonym: 穿梭巴士,接駁巴士

Reference: https://www.weekendhk.com/網絡熱話/中英夾雜-港式廣東話-香港人-ctb02-by-1413297/2/

signature

Definition: A code-mixing term that local Hong Kongers like to use to refer to a distinctive characteristic by which someone or something can be identified.

Usage: E.g. 中英夾雜絕對係香港人signature。 E.g. 呢碟菜就係呢間餐廳既signature。

Synonym: 標誌,招牌菜

Reference: https://www.threads.net/@hongtonese/post/C8zlfwZytLZ

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