Define Your Term | Login
What is code-mixing? | Mission | About | Learn More | FAQ | Commentary | Downloads | Lectures | Videos | Instagram Instagram
English | Chinese

Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

A contemporary Cantonese-English dictionary


10 random words out of 946 results

naughty

Definition: A code-mixing term that a Jayden Mami uses to refer to a more playful misbehaviour in a lighthearted way rather than describing a child genuinely bad and unmanageable that the Cantonese equivalent terms tend to denote.

Usage: E.g. Jayden呀,唔好再咁naughty啦。你唔食菜,又唔飲湯,你唔會healthy架!(Jayden, don't be so naughty. If you don't eat vegetables and don't drink soup, you will not be healthy!)

Synonym: 曳;百厭

Reference: https://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/7397/

anyhow

Definition: Usually placed at the start of a clause or sentence, this is a code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to replace the phrase '無論如何', meaning 'no matter what' in Cantonese.

Usage: E.g. 我知你好忙,但anyhow,你一定要幫我。

Synonym: 點都好

ready

Definition: A code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to refer to a person's mental state that is immediate for action without necessarily having done any preparation. When used in negation form 'not ready', it may mean that preparation is already done but the person is still not ready.

Usage: E.g. 如果一個女仔話鍾意你,但係未ready一齊,要我等,係咩意思 (If a girl says she likes you, but isn't ready to be together with you and asks you to wait, what does that mean?)

Synonym: 準備好

Reference: https://amp.lihkg.com/thread/3629688/page/1

size

Definition: Often pronounced with a '屎' (faeces) at the end of the word, this is a code-mixing term that Hong Kongers use to refer to the overall dimensions of something.

Usage: E.g. 請問呢件衫有咩size呀?。

Synonym: 大小

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

dor jeh

Definition: A romanised code-mixing phrase that foreigners use to utter the phrase 'thank you' in Cantonese when they receive a red packet during Chinese New Year.

Usage: E.g. Dor jeh! Gung hei fat choi!

Synonym: 多謝

Reference: https://www.timeout.com/hong-kong/travel/basic-cantonese-phrases-every-traveller-to-hong-kong-needs-to-know

m

Definition: A euphemistic code-mixing term that refers to 'menstruation' in English.  However, it is also used as 'M記' to refer to McDonald\'s.

Usage: E.g. 唔好話我聽兒家先黎M麻? E.g. 今次真係M到阿媽都唔認得喇!E.g. 今日又食M記?唔好喇掛!

hang

Definition: A code-mixing term that working class Hong Kongers use to refer to computer that has become unresponsive, due to a halt or freeze.

Usage: E.g. 部電腦新買架喎,咁易hang機?! E.g. 係咪唔夠RAM所以hang左呀?

Synonym: 當機

skip

Definition: This is a code-mixing term that Hong Kongers like to use instead of '跳過'.

Usage: E.g. 條題目好難。skip左先啦。

Synonym: 跳過

Reference: https://www.gotrip.hk/生活/中英夾雜-港式廣東話-gt12-772959/

boss

Definition: Often pronounced as '波士', this is a more polite sounding code-mixing term that Hong Kongers often use to refer to '老闆', especially when working in a corporate company.

Usage: E.g. 做波士就好啦。我地呢班打工仔一世做奴隸。

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

sell

Definition: A code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers to refer to an exchange of goods or services for money, but often with an extra service of persuading and pushing the customer to buy something they don't want to buy at all.

Usage: E.g. 個sales明明係sell野但係又講到唔係。(The salesperson was actually selling and pitching his product but he said he wasn't.)

Synonym: 賣野; 推廣

Reference: https://www.discuss.com.hk/viewthread.php?tid=27464402

Define Your Term | Learn More
Feel free to send your comments and suggestions to info@megaexplorer.net.