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Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

A contemporary Cantonese-English dictionary


21 results found

deadline

Definition: A code-mixing term used by Hong Kong teachers to make it clear and explicit that their students are essentially dead if they hand in their homework or assignment late, as the Cantonese equivalent phrase ‘截止日期’ does not denote the meaning of death at all. Usage: E.g. 聽日就係deadline, 唔交功課就零雞蛋!(Tomorrow is deadline. If you do not hand in your homework, you will get a zero mark!)Synonym: 截止日期Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/809281/page/1

assignment

Definition: A code-mixing term that Hong Kong teachers love to use to imply to students that there is some standard to adhere to or duty to be taken for the task given to them, rather than something that requires much effort as the Cantonese phrase ‘功課‘ denotes. Usage: E.g. 記住assignment要自己做,唔好抄人地或用AI。(Remember that you must do the assignment by yourself, and not copy others or use AI.)Synonym: 功課Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/1883876/page/1

accommodation

Definition: A code-mixing term used by overseas educated Hong Kongers to refer to a place to stay or live, which they believe should be provided by companies or schools that are accommodating. Usage: E.g. 個人建議你有得報學校accommodation就報左先。(Personally, I suggest that you should apply for the school's accommodation if you can.) E.g. 你公司幫你搵咩accommodation?(What accommodation does your company provide?)Synonym: 住宿Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/3555364/page/32

I / E

Definition: With 'I' for introvert and 'E' for extrovert, this is a code-mixing term used by overseas educated Hong Kongers who are very knowledgeable or obsessed about the MIBT (Myerrs Briggs type indicator) or the 16 personalities test. Usage: E.g. A: 你係I人定E人?B: 我唔係好知,有可能係雙面E人。(A: Are you an introvert or extrovert? B: I don't know. Maybe I am a two-faced extrovert.)Synonym: Introvert, extrovertReference: https://resources.ctgoodjobs.hk/article/37733/mbti-i人同e人區別-10種情境解析-一秒分辨你係-i人定e人

research

Definition: A code-mixing term used by overseas educated Hong Kongers use to emphasize how much paper work needs to be done when conducting studies of a subject, rather than just merely studying as the Cantonese equivalent '研究' denotes. Usage: E.g. 我兒家part-time喺大學做research,好忙架。(I am now part-time doing research at university, very busy.)Synonym: 研究Reference: https://www.threads.com/@146snk/post/DKQjVZnhSNU/香港嘅bachelor訓練根本就冇乜預你去做research所以根本唔會教你點申請mphilphd-點樣寫research-proposal-點樣approac

In general

Definition: A code-mixing phrase that overseas educated Hong Kongers use when they want to express their well-educated guess or opinion on a subject matter without sounding so formal and bookish. Usage: E.g. 呢個program我覺得in general係幾學到野。(I think I can really learn from this program in general.)Synonym: 一般而言Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/3990504/page/1

judgment

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

alma mater

Definition: A code-mixing term used by overseas educated Hong Kongers to refer to the school that a person had graduated from. However, working class and grassroots Hong Kongers may know this term but not use it because it sounds too Latin than English. Hence, they find ‘mother school’ is more sensible and practical to use. Usage: E.g. 你既alma mater係邊間學校?Synonym: 母校, mother schoolReference: https://youtube.com/shorts/Br8CWgYQNak?si=aFaIMvdv2YSnCxvh

click

Definition: A code-mixing term used by overseas educated Hong Kongers to refer to being able to like and understand someone. Usage: E.g. 我覺得我同你click唔到。Synonym: 相處融洽Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/2736661/page/3

sophisticated

Definition: A code-mixing term used by overseas educated Hong Kongers when they want to avoid describing a problem as complicated because they have the intelligence to solve it. At other times, there is just not a word that covers all the meanings of intelligent, complicated and even elegant sometimes. Usage: E.g. 呢個問題唔係復雜,只係太過sophisticated。如果你識將個問題分拆,你就會解答得到。 (This problem is not complicated, but just too sophisticated. If you know how to break down the problem, you will be able to solve it.)Synonym: 複習Reference: https://www.facebook.com/okiokifamily/posts/有人在影片留言反映-為什麼我們有時會中英夾雜-我們一早有注意到這個問題問所以上字幕的時候全部改成為中文只有極少數情況例外例如英文字-sophisticated-/1187675216048224/