Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

Definition: Often said without a 'bus', this is a chique sounding code-mixing term that working class Hong Kongers use to refer to a vehicle that has more specific and direct route to a destination. However, the Cantonese equivalent '穿梭巴士' may be used more often during holiday as it may sound more enjoyable and less 'chur' to ride on.

Usage: E.g. 我每日返工都有得搭shuttle，好快就到公司。 (I can take the shuttle to work every day and get to to office very fast.)

Synonym: 穿梭巴士，接駁巴士

Reference: https://www.weekendhk.com/網絡熱話/中英夾雜-港式廣東話-香港人-ctb02-by-1413297/2/

Definition: A code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to tell someone not to worry about something anymore, even though it may not sound polite to English speakers.

Usage: E.g. Never mind啦。我地下次再約。 E.g. Never mind啦。我自己搞得掂。

Definition: Often described as comparable to the English level of a primary school chicken, this is a code-mixing phrase used by the Hong Kong celebrity Stephy Tang (鄧麗欣) to express sincere gratitude towards other people.

Usage: E.g. Reporter: Tell me what you are wearing. Stephy: This is Vivienne Westwood. So I am very happy they give me that dress from England. So I am very thanks them.

Synonym: 我係好多謝佢地

Reference: https://evchk.fandom.com/zh/wiki/鄧麗欣

Definition: A code-mixing term that native Hong Kongers use to refer to the wire that melts when the electric current exceeds the safe level in a device.

Usage: E.g. 唔好chur到部機咁行，如果咪燒fuse屎架。

Synonym: 燒fuse, 燒保險絲

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/3579513/page/2

Definition: Originated from sports and often used with a ‘咗’ in Cantonese denoting past tense, this is a code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to refer to deceiving someone with a posture or misinformation rather than something like a fraud or scam, even though it can be serious at times causing real inconvenience to people.

Usage: E.g. 俾 "轉工要趁後生" 呢句嘢fake咗 (I got misled by the saying "Take the opportunity to change jobs while we are young".)

Synonym: fake咗

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/3004954/page/2

Definition: A shortened term for 'long distance' meaning to have a long distance relationship with someone.

Usage: E.g. 我plan左去working holiday。到陣時要同男朋友long d喇。

Synonym: 遠距離戀愛; 異地戀

Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uik5GWvXiLA&t=210s

Definition: Derived from 'gut' (吉) meaning nothingness or tangerines, this is a romanised code-mixing slang phrase used to describe someone is messing about and wasting time, which purportedly comes from people in the past going into Hong Kong stores just to drink the bowl of soup called 'gut' soup (吉湯) without spending money on the food at all. 'wun' can mean to mix (混) or to transport (運).

Usage: Auntie: Stop tasting my fruits here and there! Are you wun gut?

Synonym: 運吉, 混吉

Reference: https://www.timeout.com/hong-kong/things-to-do/cantonese-slang-you-need-to-know-right-now

Definition: A code-mixing term that refers to understanding the gist of something.  Sometimes, it is also used to refer to understanding the small parts of something, in order to understand the whole thing.

Usage: E.g. 佢好像唔係咁get我們講D咩。 E.g. 你要get到最基本既concept先，之後你就會明哂所有野。

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: Known as Kongish, this is a code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to refer to a situation of utter chaos and mess.

Usage: E.g. Do enough planning beforehand or your project will end up in a wok of congee!

Synonym: 一鑊粥

Definition: Known as Kongish, this is a code-mixing phrase that native Hong Kongers use to describe working for a job while looking for a better one. (騎牛搵馬 - ke4 ngau4 wan2 maa5)

Usage: E.g. Look for a job first! You can always ride an ox while looking for a horse!

Synonym: 騎牛搵馬

Reference: https://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/phorum/read.php?3,139574,139575