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Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

A contemporary Cantonese-English dictionary


10 random words out of 910 results

keep

Definition: (verb) A code-mixing term meaning to continue doing or retain control of something.

Usage: E.g. 日日keep fit先會健康架。 E.g. 你D身材keep得幾好喎。 E.g. 我地以後keep contact啦。 E.g. 不如keep in touch好唔好?

Synonym: 保持

Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxrKXQowtvk

no offense

Definition: A code-mixing phrase used by native Hong Kongers when they are really considerate about offending someone before or after saying something, such as making a comment or remark. However, it can be entirely offensive sometimes even though the person says no offense.

Usage: E.g. 成日開口埋口都講No Offense嘅人,其實先係最Offense。(The person who always says no offense is very often the person who is the most offensive.)

Synonym: 有怪莫怪, 無意冒犯

Reference: https://www.facebook.com/100most/posts/毛牌觀察學-第五話成日開口埋口都講no-offense嘅人其實先係最offense要講offense嘢唔使咁就住嘅一係下次試吓改口講no-defense/1031481205006323/

yau lok

Definition: A romanised Cantonese phrase that westernised Hong Kongers use to call the minibus driver to stop at the next bus stop. (有落)

Usage: E.g. Mm goi yau lok! (唔該,有落)

Synonym: 有落

locker

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

sure

Definition: Often pronounced in two syllables as 'shu-ah' and used with ‘唔‘ (not), this is a cool sounding code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers when they want to express absolute uncertainty over a subject matter in an informal setting.

Usage: E.g. 佢係唔係好叻?我唔sure。(Is he really smart? I am not sure.) E.g. 今日會唔會落雨?我唔sure。(Will it rain today? I am not sure.) E.g. 佢阿媽係唔係女人?我唔sure。(Is his mom a woman? I am not sure.)

Synonym: 肯定

Reference: https://www.discuss.com.hk/viewthread.php?tid=30817621

skip

Definition: A code-mixing term that native Hong Kongers use to refer to bypassing or avoiding something quickly. It is also often less intentional and deliberate than the Cantonese equivalent term '跳過' and tends to be done without much thinking.

Usage: E.g. 正常人每日第一餐必定是早餐,若然經常skip,會打亂人體生物鐘及削弱身體機能,抵抗力自然變差。(For normal people, breakfast is always the first meal of the day. If you often skip it, it will disrupt your body's biological clock and weaken your bodily functions, naturally making your resistance weaker.)

Synonym: 跳過

Reference: https://hk.news.yahoo.com/記性差-原來關早餐事-044500693.html

yo!

Definition: A code-mixing term that the Hong Kong actor Dicky Cheung (張衛健) loves to use in the "Journey of the West" Cantonese TV episode, in order to display the almighty character of Sun Wukong, the Monkey King.

Usage: E.g. Yo!打妖精咋麻,洗乜驚呀?!

Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jtl4WF0RwWI&t=224s

cc

Definition: A code-mixing term that working class Hong Kongers love to use to refer to sending a copy of an email message to another recipient.

Usage: E.g. 份email記住cc埋比所有人。

Synonym: 抄送

pickleball

Definition: A code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to refer to a game where a player hits a plastic ball with holes in it using a small racquette, which usually appeals more to females who find playing tennis too difficult.

Usage: E.g. 早幾年啲女興行山(有對腳就行得)、做GYM(有手有腳就可以鳩做+打卡)。之後就開始Tennis,但門檻較高,同埋太多女學極都係咁廢,三分鐘熱度就收皮。而家就開始pickle ball,因為夠易玩 (In the past few years, girls were interested in hiking (you can walk if you have feet) and doing gym (you can do it if you have hands and feet + take pictures). Then they started playing tennis, but the learning curve is higher, and too many were extremely useless even when they kept learning, or they just gave up after 3 minutes. Now they started playing pickleball because it's easy enough to play.)

Synonym: 匹克球

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/3987075/page/1

click

Definition: A code-mixing term that native Hong Kongers love to use to refer to selecting something on an electronic device, such as by using a mouse or touchpad.

Usage: E.g. 幫手click吓我D廣告啦!

Synonym: 點擊

Reference: https://www.lib.eduhk.hk/pure-data/pub/201705266.pdf

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