Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

Definition: A Kongish code-mixing term that refers to singing karaoke.

Usage: E.g Gum man hui ng hui sing k? (今晚去唔去唱K?)

Synonym: 唱卡啦OK

Definition: A Kongish code-mixing term used to describe how poor (慘) someone is.

Usage: E.g. I cried coz I am very chaam. E.g. 今次考試肥左真係好chaam。 E.g. 做到扒左喺到咁真係ｃｈａａｍｃｈａａｍ豬。

Synonym: 慘

Reference: https://topick.hket.com/article/3056055/【港式英文】嫌米綫店「updup」及食客「wuddud」%20%20%20%20港女IG發文形容好「Chaam」

Definition: Known as Kongish, this is a code-mixing phrase that native Hong Kongers use to describe someone who is bragging about their achievements. (扮哂蟹 - baan6 saai3 haai5)

Usage: E.g. A: Stop acting like a crab! You think you are better than me?!

Synonym: 扮哂蟹

Reference: https://zolimacitymag.com/pop-cantonese-大頭蝦-big-head-prawn-language-hong-kong/

Definition: (adj) A code-mixing term that Hong Kongers use to describe something that is advanced in technology.  There is a famous quote that goes "High Tech揩野，Low Tech撈野", which describes the volatility of high-tech products as opposed to low-tech products that have a larger market despite high competition.

Usage: E.g. 哇，張枱有自動升降好high tech呀。

Reference: https://www.lib.eduhk.hk/pure-data/pub/201902353/201902353_1.pdf

Definition: Pronounced as 'kaahn-taah' with a long back vowel and rising intonation, this is a code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers to refer to a cashier's counter, information desk or service counter.

Usage: E.g. 小弟係個賣game仔，話說我今日放飯果陣緊係出去食飯啦，咁個counter緊係冇人啦 (I'm a game seller, and of course I went out to have lunch during my lunch break today, so there was no one looking after the counter.)

Synonym: 收銀處; 客戶服務中心; 櫃檯

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/740067/page/1

Definition: This is a code-mixing term that Hong Kongers use to refer to '噱頭'.

Usage: E.g. 你有沒有留意樓下那家coffee shop最近常做promotion，我覺得滿有gimmick

Synonym: 噱頭

Reference: https://hk.news.yahoo.com/港人中英夾雜有規律-網友-太神奇-020000181.html

Definition: Often added with a 屎, this is a code-mixing term that Hong Kong people use instead of 滑鼠, meaning 'slippery mouse'.

Usage: Eg. 個mouse(屎)幾靚喎。喺邊到買？

Synonym: 滑鼠

Reference: https://www.gushiciku.cn/dl/0pydp/zh-hk

Definition: (textspeak) A Kongish code-mixing term transliterated from ‘咗’, which is equivalent to the ‘-ed’ particle for past tense in English.

Usage: E.g. Jo jor gong for mei ar? (做咗功課未呀？） E.g. Sik jor farn mei ar? (食咗飯未呀？）

Synonym: 咗

Reference: https://hklanguage.home.blog/2019/11/16/the-use-of-transliteration-in-kongish/

Definition: A less cliche and irritating sounding code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers when they want to quickly test or experience something first, in order to know whether it is suitable for them in the long term.

Usage: E.g. 有新game出左？等我try吓先。 (A new game came out? Let me try first.) E.g. 買左件衫比我？等我try try先。 (Bought a shirt for me? Let me try try first.)

Synonym: 嘗試, 試

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/2866301/page/17

Definition: A code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers to refer to an amount of work in a less quantifiable way, in order to sound less like they are complaining about how much work or burden they have.

Usage: E.g. 仲有task要做？我最近已經多左workload。(There are still tasks to do? I already have more workload recently.)

Synonym: 工作量

Reference: https://www.baby-kingdom.com/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=23644122