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

Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

A contemporary Cantonese-English dictionary


10 random words out of 852 results

Felix Diu

Definition: Originated from the Hong Kong Olympics sprint athlete '刁俊希', this is a code-mixing phrase used by native Hong Kongers when they feel like they cannot bother giving a f*** about something.

Usage: E.g. Should I study for this exam? Felix Diu!

Synonym: 費撚事屌

Reference: https://www.threads.com/@lovelovehannigram/post/DH8tkORpNQ2

assess

Definition: Originated from ‘access’, this is a code-mixing term that working class Hong Kongers use to refer to the means through which one can enter a system or having the permission to retrieve data from a system.

Usage: E.g. 唔該可唔可以比個database既assess比我? (Could you give me the access to the database?) E.g. 我assess唔到個system。可唔可以比密碼我?(I cannot access the system. Can you give me the password?)

Synonym: access, 讀取

Reference: https://www.instagram.com/reels/CjZh3wSpu4l/ (use mobile version)

people mountain people sea

Definition: A Kongish code-mixing term used by Hong Kongers to emphasize how crowded and jam-packed a place is.

Usage: E.g. 同事:今日搭車返工多唔多人呀? 你:多呀,可以話係people mountain people sea呀。 E.g. 你:哇,人山人海呀!朋友:簡直係people mountain people sea啦!

hello

Definition: Often pronounced as 'ha-lo', this is a code-mixing term that native Hong Kongers often use to greet somebody instead of '你好', which sounds too formal sometimes.

Usage: E.g. Ha-lo,我叫Peter。你叫咩名?

Synonym: 哈佬

three does not know seven

Definition: Known as Kongish, this is a phrase used by native Hong Kongers to describe someone who does not know anyone. Originated from a game similar to Rummikub where pulling cards should add up to nine, but not over. Otherwise, the player will lose the game.

Usage: E.g. I have never been to this event before! Everyone was like 'three does not know seven'!

Synonym: 三唔識七

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

binder

Definition: This is a code-mixing term that is used instead of the Cantonese equivalent '大文件夾' to refer to a large-sized folder for keeping documents.

Usage: E.g. 如果folder唔夠大,搵個binder再放哂D文件入去。

Synonym: 大文件夾

native

Definition: A code-mixing term that refers to someone who was born or grew up in a particular country, which Hong Kongers find it a lot more convenient to use than the Cantonese equivalent words because it requires much less linguistic effort.

Usage: E.g. 你係唔係native speaker黎架?(講本國語既人) E.g. 你D英文係咪native架?(純正本土口音)

Reference: https://www.studocu.com/hk/document/city-university-of-hong-kong/world-englishes/lecture-3-city-university-of-hong-kongen5714-world-englishes-and-the-social-context-of/20063922

list

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

Usage: E.g. List哂D item落張紙先,然後去超市買野就唔會唔記得。

Synonym: 列出

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

the show must go on

Definition: Became known by the TVB episode 'The Queen of News', this is a code-mixing phrase said by working class Hong Kongers to encourage people to continue doing what they have set out to do, even if it means taking risks and receiving consequences.

Usage: E.g. 冇人敢報等我嚟吖!萬一touchwood報錯咪賴落我度咯,I have nothing to lose。我宗旨好簡單,the show must go on。(If no one dares to report this, then I'll do it! If the news turn out to be wrong, then blame it on me, touchwood. I have nothing to lose. My goal is very simple, the show must go on.)

Synonym: 表演必須繼續

Reference: https://hk.ulifestyle.com.hk/topic/detail/20021530/新聞女王-高海寧重現主播喊住報死訊新聞一幕-雙眼通紅淚珠滑落與現實如出一轍/1

gym

Definition: A code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to refer to exercise done in the gym. Even though it is often used as '做gym' (do gym), it is not to be confused with 'doing the gym' because the gym is actually the place where people do exercise in native English.

Usage: E.g. 想唔想一齊做gym? (Want to work out / do exercise in the gym together?)

Synonym: 健身; 健身室; 健身室運動

Reference: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/做gym

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