Define Your Term | Login
What is code-mixing? | Mission | About | Learn More | FAQ | Commentary | Downloads | Lectures | Videos | Instagram Instagram
English | Chinese

Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

A contemporary Cantonese-English dictionary


10 random words out of 946 results

water

Definition: Known as Kongish, this is code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to refer to money and lots of different things.

Usage: E.g. Blow water. (吹水 - to chat casually or brag about something) E.g. Measure water. (磅水 - to give money) E.g. Return water. (回水 - to return money) E.g. Clear water. (通水 - to give secret info like a test) E.g. Draw water. (抽水 - to get profit or benefit for free) E.g. One lump of water. (一舊水 - one hundred dollars) E.g. What water? (乜水 - who the heck are you?)

Reference: https://topick.hket.com/article/679575/%E5%BB%A3%E6%9D%B1%E8%A9%B1%E8%80%83%E8%B5%B7%E4%BD%A0%E3%80%80%E3%80%8C%E6%B0%B4%E3%80%8D%E5%AD%97%E6%9C%89%E5%B9%BE%E5%A4%9A%E7%A8%AE%E6%84%8F%E6%80%9D%EF%BC%9F

auntie

Definition: A polite way of addressing a stranger, usually a much older person, when you meet them for the first time.

Usage: E.g. 哈佬Auntie,你好呀! E.g. 仔仔,快D叫聲Auntie啦。

Synonym: 阿姨; 姨姨

Reference: https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3048345/hong-kong-comes-alive-learning-cantonese-make-sure-you-know

sit

Definition: A code-mixing term that local Hong Kong students use to refer to sitting through a lecture without participating in it, which is usually used for those who don't belong to the class or course.

Usage: E.g. 同學:可以邀請我sit堂嗎? E.g. 我見到嗰位先生成日要sit堂。係助教還是professor?

shopping

Definition: A chic-sounding code-mixing term used in Hong Kong Cantonese that shows the speaker's education background and western appeal.

Usage: E.g. 唔好意思,我週末要去shopping。唔得閒應酬你。 E.g. 做人唔shop下ping邊得呀?

Synonym: 購物

Reference: https://sites.google.com/site/hongkonglinguistics/Downhome/language-contact-in-hong-kong/cantonese-englishintra-sententialcode-switchinginhongkong

upgrade

Definition: A code-mixing term meaning to further oneself's studies.

Usage: E.g. 做人要不斷upgrade自己先夠充實架嘛。

happy

Definition: (verb.) An adjective-turned-verb code-mixing term meaning to enjoy oneself.

Usage: E.g. 做人久唔久都要happy一吓先得架嘛。 E.g. 今個週末一齊去happy吓好嗎? E.g. 聽日放工一齊去happy hour啦!(歡樂時光)

canteen

Definition: A code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to refer to a restaurant located inside a school or company. However, it is worth noting that the origin of the word is from Europe and should not to be confused with ‘can-ting’ or ‘can-teng’ in Mandarin or Cantonese (餐廳), which start with the ‘ts’ sound instead of ‘k’ sound in ‘can’.

Usage: E.g. 今日好多人呀!快啲落canteen霸位啦!(There are so many people today! Let's go to the canteen to hog the seats first!)

Synonym: 飯堂; 食堂 ; 餐廳

Reference: https://www.instagram.com/p/DSKkZbOEqPJ/ (use mobile version)

fat boy

Definition: A code-mixing term used by a Jayden Mami to describe a child who is chubby in a lighthearted way.

Usage: E.g. Fat boy,Mami同你講左好多次架喇,啲soup咁hot,仲咁快咁樣隊落去,要blow下先得架麻?(Fat boy, Mami told you so many times. The soup is so hot, and you still shove it into your mouth that fast. Blow it first you know?)

Synonym: 肥仔

Reference: https://www.instagram.com/p/DaINmQPARlx/ (use mobile version)

work life balance

Definition: A code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers to refer to a job benefit that often comes with some downsides or sacrifices in order to maintain a good balance between work and leisure, such as a lower salary.

Usage: E.g. 網民A:講得出Work-life balance 嘅工多數都唔係Work-life balance (Netizen A: Jobs that say they have a work-life balance usually don't have work-life balance.) E.g. 網民H:人工低咪Work-life balance,但户口唔balance (Netizen H: If you have low salary, it means you have work-life balance, but your bank account will not have a balance.)

Synonym: 工作與生活的平衡

Reference: https://resources.ctgoodjobs.hk/article/35732/職場熱話-香港公司5日工作天就標榜自己係work-life-balance-事主-成日放工仲要覆message

say yes

Definition: A code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers when they show acceptance towards something or someone. Even though it is often used in informal situations and not written down, it can sometimes be official enough like when a girl accepts a guy during a marriage proposal.

Usage: E.g. 個女人未say yes直接搶佢隻手戴戒指。(The girl didn't even say yes and he grabbed her hand to put on the ring.)

Synonym: 答應

Reference: https://www.threads.com/@timorese2332/post/DVnTY5-jiQo?xmt=AQF0qy0bkiofGtnpzBvRV8K80eRv2Va6md233oSjBwnVGUCCMt_lLP7oN7zuNkcGOPG9nm0h&slof=1

Define Your Term | Learn More
Feel free to send your comments and suggestions to info@megaexplorer.net.