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Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

A contemporary Cantonese-English dictionary


10 random words out of 725 results

collect skin

Definition: A code-mixing term that native Hong Kongers use to tell somebody to shut the f**k up. It is used instead of the Cantonese equivalent '收皮' in order to tone down the directness of this very rude phrase. It originates from street vendors who used to pack their things up on wooden mats when police arrived back in those days of Hong Kong. Usage: E.g. 喂,講完未呀?Collect skin啦。E.g. 真係頂你唔順呀,快D collect skin啦。Synonym: 收皮Reference: https://www.timeout.com/hong-kong/things-to-do/cantonese-slang-you-need-to-know-right-now?utm_campaign=likeshopme&utm_medium=instagram&utm_source=dash+hudson&utm_content=www.instagram.com/p/Cy8AD_WtaxO/ (use mobile version)

gossip

Definition: A code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers which is a more generic and less vivid way of calling someone who is too preoccupied with talking about other people’s lives. Usage: E.g. 唔好成日掛住gossip,專注啲做野啦!(Stop gossipping all the time and focus on your work!)Synonym: 諸事八卦, 閒言閒語, 講是非Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/2683169/page/1

sharp

Definition: 1. (adj) A code-mixing term that Hong Kongers use to describe a person being clever or quick to notice things. Sometimes, it is used as 'sharp醒'. 2. (adj) Used to describe someone's appearance as being too eye-catching. Usage: E.g. 哇,乜今日咁sharp醒呀?咁快做哂D野? E.g. 呢件衫D顏色太sharp喇。Reference: http://www.cmi.hku.hk/Ref/Article/article02/01.html

copy and paste

Definition: A code-mixing phrase that even young and senior local Hong Kong students like to use to refer to duplicating information in the digital format because they were just never used to Chinese Windows. Usage: E.g. A:搵AI gen成編文出黎,再copy and paste落自己份功課到咪得囉。B:喂,你唔好教壞我喎?!(A: Just get the AI to generate some essay, then copy and paste it into your homework. Done! B: Hey, don't teach me a wrong habit!)Synonym: 複製與貼上Reference: https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/香港語文

rice bucket

Definition: Known as Kongish, this is a code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to describe someone who only knows how to eat rice and nothing else. ie. A useless person. Usage: E.g. He is so useless like a rice bucket!Synonym: 飯桶

project

Definition: A word that Hong Kong local students use to refer to a large piece of work, which is often done in group setting. Usage: E.g. 今學期你有咩group project呀?(課題)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

solicitor

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/

KT

Definition: A code-mixing term that native Hong Kongers use to refer to the places Kwun Tong or Kai Tak interchangebly. Usage: E.g.「約咗男朋友出街,地點係啟德,佢話係6:30 kt等,我6:30到咗,問佢係邊,佢話就到觀塘,我:???唔係6:30啟德等咩?佢話kt係觀塘。」(I arranged to go out with my boyfriend, the place is Kai Tak. He said wait at KT at 6:30, so I arrived at 6:30. Then I asked where he was, he said he was arriving at Kwun Tong. I said, 'What? I thought it was 6:30 at Kai Tak.' He said KT is Kwun Tong.)Synonym: 觀塘, 啟德Reference: https://www.instagram.com/p/DVsSQu4CEvp/?igsh=ejZ5bzB5NGhjbHpx (use mobile version)

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

show off

Definition: A code-mixing term that Hong Kongers often use instead of '炫耀', which sounds too formal to be used in conversation.  Also used as 'show qualie' sometimes. Usage: E.g. 唔好成日係到show off啦。知道你勁喇。E.g. 成日講野都夾雜英文。你喺到show qualie呀?
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