Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

Definition: A code-mixing term that local Hong Kongers in IT sectors like to use to refer to a pointer to a snapshot of changes in a code repository.

Usage: E.g. 你兒家喺main branch, 咁你要checkout返個develop branch先可以開始做野。

Synonym: 分支，開發線

Reference: https://git-scm.com/book/zh/v2/Git-分支-分支简介

Definition: A code-mixing term that overseas educated Hong Kongers use to refer to '靚', which describes something as beautiful or good-looking.

Usage: E.g. No, but seriously it’s really lang, you are the one who said hou ce right?

Reference: http://www.lingref.com/isb/4/039ISB4.PDF

Definition: A more informal and linguistically efficient way of saying the Cantonese equivalent term '上傳'. Often pronounced as 'po' instead of 'post'.

Usage: E.g. 喂，你今次po張相好鬼靚喎。

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 Hong Kong salesman love to use as a strategy to advertise their products without sounding like they're doing it for the sake of spreading the word or selling their product.

Usage: E.g. 我地公司兒家做緊promotion。你唔買就走寶喇喂。(Our company is now doing promotion. If you don't buy, you'll miss out.)

Synonym: 宣傳，推廣

Reference: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340689372_Code-Mixing_as_a_Promotion_Strategy_in_Shopping_Centres

Definition: A more suitable way to describe how close a relationship is than the word ‘親密’ （intimate）.

Usage: E.g. 你同你個friend close唔close架？E.g. 你有幾多個close friend？

Synonym: 親密

Definition: A code-mixing phrase used by working class Hong Kongers to refer to a more sequential and orderly way of describing the progression of something, especially when giving instructions.

Usage: E.g. 實際通常都係 step by step 咁去先會得到結果 中間所有野都唔理咪做唔到囉 (In practice, I usually go step by step in order to get results. I won't be able to do it if I don't care about everything in the middle.

Synonym: 逐步; 一步一步

Reference: https://www.facebook.com/kt4404.hk/posts/發覺原來自學-it-都幾難-分享自-lihkg-討論區-呢個-reply-值得深思好多人諗野學野做野都話自己係-result-oriented唔理個過程係點得到/4291301534246259/

Definition: (textspeak) A Kongish code-mixing term transliterated from ‘食飯’, which means eat rice.

Usage: E.g. Sik jor farn mei ar? (食左飯未呀？） E.g. Hor yee sik farn la. (可以食飯喇）

Synonym: 食飯

Reference: https://hklanguage.home.blog/2019/11/16/the-use-of-transliteration-in-kongish/

Definition: A code-mixing term that is used when you really care not to offend someone.

Usage: E.g. Frankly speaking呢，我覺得你唔夠ｑｕａｌｉ囉。 E.g. Frankly speaking呢，我對你既印象麻麻地囉。 E.g. Frankly speaking呢，我覺得你好扮野囉。

Definition: (adj) A code-mixing term that Hong Kongers use to describe something that is advanced in technology.  There is a famous quote that goes "High Tech揩野，Low Tech撈野", which describes the volatility of high-tech products as opposed to low-tech products that have a larger market despite high competition.

Usage: E.g. 哇，張枱有自動升降好high tech呀。

Reference: https://www.lib.eduhk.hk/pure-data/pub/201902353/201902353_1.pdf