Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

Definition: A Hong Kong style business trip where one tries to enjoy himself like going on a vacation, in addition to visiting a client for work purposes.

Usage: E.g. 老闆：下個星期你要幫我出trip見個客，知道嗎？　你：好呀！ E.g. 唔知今次出trip好唔好玩呢？

Reference: https://www.esquirehk.com/mens-talk/simon-shen-hong-kong-english-chinese

Definition: (noun) A code-mixing term that Hong Kongers say in order to avoid bad luck, which is similar to '大吉利是' in Cantonese.

Usage: E.g. Touchwood講句，如果件貨聽日唔準時到，請問要等到幾時呢？

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/733616/page/1

Definition: A code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers to refer to a paragraph of job responsibilities that may be lacking in detail in order to cover up the downsides of the job position.

Usage: E.g. 基本上所謂嘅「正職」，份份都搞唔撚掂，睇job description已經feel到伏到爆；人工就好似倒退咁，俾$20,000已經好似唔想俾咁。(Basically the so-called "full-time job", I cannot really handle every one of these jobs, as reading the job descriptions already makes me feel like it's a trap; Salary is like a regression, and $20,000 is already something they don't want to give.)

Synonym: 工作內容; 職務描述

Reference: https://www.threads.com/share/_hfKA8ePg/

Definition: A code-mixing term that overseas educated Hong Kongers use to refer to the kind of lawyer occupation that mostly deals with documents but actually goes to court proceedings at times.

Usage: E.g. A: 你係咪做solicitor? 咁咪唔洗上court? B: 都要上court架，少啲咋麻。(A: Are you a solictor? Does that mean you don't need to go to court? B: I need to go to court, but relatively less.)

Synonym: 事務律師

Reference: https://cph-legal.com/2022/03/how-to-ace-a-job-interview-at-a-law-firm/

Definition: A generic code-mixing term that can used for a number of different items in Cantonese.

Usage: E.g. 你公司近排搞緊D咩project呀？（項目） E.g. 今次呢個project搞成點呀？（研究） E.g. 你諗住下次搞d咩project呀？（計劃） E.g. 小心D呀，唔見寫住project in progress咩？（工程）

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

Definition: An Englishised Cantonese phrase that real ABC Hong Kongers use to refer to going to a traditional Chinese restaurant for dim sum. (飲茶)

Usage: E.g. Let's go to yum cha this weekend!

Synonym: 飲茶

Definition: A code-mixing term that Hong Kongers like use to refer to marking or jotting things down. (標記）

Usage: E.g. 記住mark低個schedule比我睇吓先。阿媽：老師上堂講既野有冇mark低呀？

Definition: Originated from the word 'start', this is a code-mixing term used by the Hong Kong government to refer to the starting point of a running track.

Usage: E.g. 再有政府設施串錯英文。「起點」英文串法由正確的「Start」變為「Strat」。(There is an English word mispelled in a government facility again. The word "Start" became "Strat".)

Synonym: 起點, start

Reference: https://www.instagram.com/p/DWMLrukj_sZ/?igsh=d2NkZXFvN3AycjZt (use mobile version)

Definition: A shortened code-mixing term that Hong Kongers use to refer to the word 'register', such as registering for an account in an app to become a member.

Usage: E.g. 快D download個app再reg個account成為會員啦！

Synonym: 申請

Definition: Often repeated after '所以' (so) in Cantonese, this is to reinforce what this speaker is trying to explain, especially in a work situation.

Usage: E.g. 程序上有好多野要double confirm，所以that's why個project到兒家仲未出街。