Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

Definition: A code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers to refer to the process of finding an employee's former colleagues or managers to verify their job history, which can sometimes be very tedious.

Usage: E.g. 我就唔驚reference check去check我過去表現，但要我搵人做reference check 就好煩，尤其係個HR係咁催我交人 (I am not afraid of reference checks that check my past job performance, but asking me to find someone to do the reference check is very annoying, especially if the HR is urging me to hand over the person.)

Synonym: 資歷查核

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/3576674/page/1

Definition: A code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to refer to a person's emotional state that can be driven by an atmosphere or a person.

Usage: E.g. 女朋友講完句野搞到我無晒mood (My girlfriend said something which made me lose my mood.)

Synonym: 心情

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/294607/page/3

Definition: A code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to refer to a meal set offered by a karaoke lounge bar or club.

Usage: E.g. 今日去唔去食K lunch呀？一百蚊又可以唱又食，好鬼死抵。(Do you want to have K lunch today? Can sing and eat at the price of just $100, so frigging cheap.)

Synonym: 卡啦OK午餐

Reference: https://hk.ulifestyle.com.hk/activity/detail/20009510/唱k推介2024丨全港16大卡啦ok好去處-最平-36起-日文k都有-附地址-收費詳情

Definition: A code-mixing phrase used by upper class Hong Kongers to refer to the all sorts of time spent with one's family, which aren't necessarily quality time but rather for the purposes of occasion.

Usage: E.g. 節日就黎到，記住唔好去旅行，留返啲時間一齊食飯同family time。(Holiday is coming. Remember not to go travelling but spare some time eating a meal together and having family time.)

Synonym: 家庭時間

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/3704109/page/10

Definition: Often pronounced as 'fat check', this is a code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers to refer to verifying the validity and accuracy of something.

Usage: E.g. 洗唔洗fact check一吓呢個人係真定係假？（Do we need to fact check this person to see if he is real or fake?)

Synonym: 事實查核

Reference: https://medialiteracy.hk/不看你絕對後悔：fact-check背後的「真相」/

Definition: Originated from ‘gg’ meaning ‘game over' and often transliterated as the loan word ‘豬‘ meaning pig, this is a code-mixing term that local Hong Kong students use to describe situations where they have lost or think they already lost. Even though ‘豬‘ has a similar sound as 'g', this is not to be mistaken as a mispronunication as a pig represents stupidity in Cantonese and fits the context and meaning entirely. Also said to have originated from Taiwanese.

Usage: E.g. 今次對手咁勁，真係豬喇喎。(Our opponents are so powerful this time, it's really game over.) E.g. 今次考試豬左。(My exam results is game over.)

Synonym: 豬, 完了，GG

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/3388417/page/1

Definition: A code-mixing phrase that upper class Hong Kongers use to refer to the breakfast set that is served all day long, but don't actually eat that often except during breakfast hours.

Usage: E.g. 食all day breakfast? 唔好喇掛，就黎六點，食返晚餐好過啦。(Eat all day breakfast? I don't think so since it's about 6 o'clock. I think it's better to eat dinner.)

Synonym: 全日早餐

Reference: https://www.hk01.com/教煮/93368/all-day-breakfast-麵包雞蛋炸薯花款多-一張圖鑒辨清楚

Definition: A code-mixing term used by entertainment judges as a neutral way of describing the state of something not being controlled rather than implying someone has gone wrong losing control of something.

Usage: E.g. 我覺得你有時可能自視太高，你頭先出嚟時用聲同埋所有嘅野，你係完全out of control，直情係一個好似唔識唱歌嘅人 (I feel you may think too highly of yourself sometimes, like when you first came out and used your voice and all that, you were completely out of control, as if you were a person who didn't seem to know how to sing at all.)

Synonym: 失控

Reference: https://www.stheadline.com/film-drama/3570761/魔音女團莊子璇失準隨時出局陳熙蕊安慰喬美莎獲激讚-高學歷背景曾創百萬帶貨額

Definition: Sometimes said with a fist pump gesture, this is a code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers to express absolute affirmation towards the feasibility of an idea.

Usage: E.g. 當然啦! 呢個idea絕對can啦! (Of course! This idea is absolutely feasible!)

Synonym: 可以, 可行

Definition: A code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers to refer to a relatively small number of people or things being put together but probably not big enough to be an organisation or entity.

Usage: E.g. 我地間公司係一個group，不如加入我地既whatsapp group再傾吓我地可以點合作？(Our company is a group. What about joining our Whatsapp group so we can talk about how we can work together?)

Synonym: 組, 組織, 集團

Reference: https://resources.ctgoodjobs.hk/article/23487/職場熱話-被迫加入廿個公司group-員工-不停彈訊息-連apple-watch都壞埋