Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

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 code-mixing term meaning female teacher.

Usage: Eg. Missy, 請問功課幾時交？ Eg. 仔仔，有d咩唔識記住問missy呀。

Synonym: 先生

Definition: Known as Kongish, this is a code-mixing phrase used by native Hong Kongers to describe a situation where there is a scene or fight going on between people, and you are just excited to watch what will happen as a bystander. '食住花生等睇戲' can be shortened to '食花生' sometimes.

Usage: E.g. I have never seen people argue like this over Whatsapp! Let's eat peanuts while waiting to watch a film!

Synonym: 食住花生等睇戲

Reference: https://www.localiiz.com/post/culture-local-stories-popular-cantonese-idioms

Definition: A code-mixing term that native Hong Kongers often use when they want to tell someone politely that they are not the sort of person they want to be with or attracted to.

Usage: E.g. 唔好意思，你唔係我個type。(Sorry, but you are not the type of person I want to be with.)

Synonym: 種類

Reference: https://www.dcard.tw/f/hkmacdaily/p/239885576/b/4-1

Definition: A code-mixing phrase used by the K-pop singer Jackson Wang (王嘉爾) when he has nothing to say. Even though he was born in Hong Kong, it is often said that he has real American Born Chinese vibe, due to his strong knowledge of English filler terms while speaking in Cantonese.

Usage: E.g. 我從運動員到練習生到出道，去海外，我自己覺得我係捱到既。但係有時呢D咁既野真係hit到我，我真係...i don't know. (From being an athlete to a trainee to debut then overseas, I always thought I could endure. But when there were things that hit me sometimes, I really just... I don't know.)

Synonym: 我唔知

Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7-73ZG8G2s

Definition: A code-mixing phrase used by overseas educated Hong Kongers to describe something as more inferior in quality than another without saying it's of bad quality.

Usage: E.g. 我去過呢間bar。It's even worse!

Synonym: 更加差

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/3047481/page/1

Definition: A code-mixing term that real ABC's like to use to show that they are always glad to do a favour for someone.

Usage: E.g. Sure！No problem！拜托喺我身上啦。 E.g. Sure！我同你去Starbucks買杯咖啡啦。 E.g. Sure！我幫你比住錢先啦。

Definition: Pronounced as '痾打', this is a more elegant term that refers to the Cantonese equivalent（落單）for placing orders.  Sometimes, it is used by the police when giving instructions to the subordinates.

Usage: E.g. D野仲未黎既？我落左order好耐喇喎。快D吹吓佢。E.g. 警察：This is an order! Understand?! 下屬：Yes, sir!

Synonym: 落單

Reference: https://www.gushiciku.cn/dl/0pydp/zh-hk

Definition: A code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers to refer to a smaller kind of conference room for general purpose, such as having a small group meeting, 1 on 1 interview, zoom call, etc. However, it does not mean people should do all sorts of things in it such as chitchatting loudly and having a social party.

Usage: E.g. 呢排轉咗工，但公司係Shared Office。入面大部分都後生仔女。就算唔係坐埋一張枱都聽到佢哋大聲講大聲笑。啲meeting room又唔係多，長期俾人霸哂。到真係俾我book到都仲聽到出面啲聲 (E.g. I changed job recently, but the company is a shared office and most people are young, Even when I was not sitting at their table, I could still hear them talking and laughing out loud. There were also not many meeting rooms, so they were occupied for a long time. And when I booked a room, I could still hear their noise outside.)

Synonym: 會議室

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/4007435/page/1

Definition: Classified as 'JM tone', this is a code-mixing style adopted by Hong Kong celebrity Janice Man to represent the upper class.  (Notice that the letter m is a voiced consonant in this word and should be emphasized for extremely proper pronunciation.)

Usage: E.g. 我週末得閒既時候會同朋友去睇mmmovie。

Synonym: 電影