Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

Definition: A code-mixing term that Hong Kongers use to refer to one's limit of something, such as how much food one can eat.

Usage: E.g. 食野要有quota，尤其係生野。 E.g. 我望手機有quota，因為我始終年紀大。

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

Definition: (textspeak) Originated from the numbers 6 and 7 sounding similar to '碌柒' meaning 'a stick of dick', this is a Kongish code-mixing term used by local Hong Kong students to describe someone as very dumb and brainless, like a dickhead.

Usage: E.g. 唔好成個6 7咁樣企喺到啦！(Don't be like a dickhead just standing there!)

Synonym: 碌柒

Reference: https://www.instagram.com/reels/DR_ewS2k4Yy/ (use mobile version)

Definition: A code-mixing term that native Hong Kongers use to describe someone or something as dull and boring such as having no relationship, which definitely has nothing to do with 'dry dating' in native English.

Usage: E.g. 我近排冇拖拍好dry呀。(I recently haven't been dating, so dry!) E.g. 唔好成日自己一個人咁dry啦。(Don't be always by yourself, so dry!)

Synonym: 沒新鮮感，很無聊，枯燥乏味

Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtwE7IA18CY&t=50s

Definition: Derived from the Chinese term '內卷' and often translated as 'involution', this is an Englishised code-mixing term that describes an economic situation where excessive competition does not lead to development and innovation. This may lead to people feeling stressed, anxious, and trapped, as the two characters mean 'inside rolling'.

Usage: E.g. I'm stuck in the rat race! I'm so tired of competing with everyone just to climb the career ladder!

Synonym: 內卷

Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjTg1G8rpVc

Definition: A code-mixing term that Hong Kongers often use to refer to the list of dishes available at a restaurant. (餐牌)

Usage: E.g. 伙記，唔該比個menu我睇呀。

Synonym: 餐牌

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

Definition: A code-mixing term that Hong Kong companies like to use to refer to sessions they provide for employees to equip them with skills, which may or may not be full of actions such as teaching, instructing and nurturing as the -ing term suggests.

Usage: E.g. 吓？你講完一兩句野就當係training？！(What? You just gave a short talk and called this 'training'?!)

Synonym: 訓練, 培訓

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/700190/page/9

Definition: A code-mixing term that refers to the part of the song that is repeated several times.

Usage: E.g. 老師：今次唱得唔錯。不過我地再黎多次個chorus呀，唔該。 E.g. 老師：我地一齊再唱多次段副歌！學生：副歌？老師，你係邊到黎架？

Synonym: 副歌

Definition: A classic Kongish code-mixing term that local Hong Kong students use to refer to picking up, chatting up and courting someone, especially girls. Even though this is considered a more serious term than 'flirting', it is still very often used to describe someone who is just chatting up the opposite sex but not necessarily looking for romance, especially for the long term.

Usage: E.g. Tonight go ng go kau lui? (Want to pick up girls tonight?)

Synonym: 溝

Reference: https://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/phorum/read.php?1,39072

Definition: Sometimes used with a negation particle such as '唔' meaning 'not' in Cantonese, this is a code-mixing term that native Hong Kongers use to describe something as not very kind and pleasant in a less direct and personal way, even though the word is usually used to describe a person.

Usage: E.g. 你講得岩。香港揸車唔係咁friendly。(You are right. Driving in Hong Kong isn't very friendly.)

Synonym: 友善

Definition: Pronounced as 'leeb' (long vowel), this is an a lot more linguistically efficient way of referring to '升降機' in Cantonese.

Usage: E.g. 等陣呀。我兒家搭緊lift上黎。

Reference: https://holiday.presslogic.com/article/224449/港式-廣東話-中英夾雜-口語-香港人-搭lift-食lunch