Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

Definition: A code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers to refer to a job position that covers almost all the duties that an entire department has.

Usage: E.g. 我份工係one man band，所以都幾忙架。

Synonym: 一腳踢

Reference: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/一腳踢

Definition: (textspeak) A Kongish code-mixing phrase used by local student Hong Kongers when they want to ask whether someone understands what they are talking about.

Usage: E.g. Nei g ng g ngo kong mut? (Do you know what I am saying?)

Synonym: 你知唔知我講乜?

Reference: https://www.socialcareer.org/blogs/do-you-really-know-cantonese

Definition: Translated from the punning of ‘粟米肉粒飯’ (shuk mai yuk lup fan), this is a Kongish code-mixing term that refers to a rice dish with creamed corn and pork served in Hong Kong Cha Chaan Tang restaurants.

Usage: E.g. Excuse me, may I have a ‘show me your love rice’?

Synonym: 粟米肉粒飯

Reference: https://hklanguage.home.blog/2019/11/12/kongish-a-new-language-of-hong-kongers/

Definition: A code-mixing term used by westernised Hong Kongers to refer to hitting a ball towards the ground forcefully in tennis, which not only feels good when defeating someone with such a gesture, but also it sort of gives the person a feeling of breaking something into pieces.

Usage: E.g. 咁勁？！今次我要smash返你！(So powerful?! I'm going to smash you back!)

Synonym: 殺球

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/3898753/page/7

Definition: A code-mixing term used by overseas educated Hong Kongers to refer to the school that a person had graduated from. However, working class and grassroots Hong Kongers may know this term but not use it because it sounds too Latin than English. Hence, they find ‘mother school’ is more sensible and practical to use.

Usage: E.g. 你既alma mater係邊間學校？

Synonym: 母校, mother school

Reference: https://youtube.com/shorts/Br8CWgYQNak?si=aFaIMvdv2YSnCxvh

Definition: (textspeak) Transliterated from ‘好多’ meaning ‘a lot’ or ‘many’, this is a Kongish code-mixing term used by local student Hong Kongers to complain about the excess of homework.

Usage: E.g. Ho dor gong for ah! (好多功課呀！)

Synonym: 好多

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

Definition: Known as Kongish, this is a code-mixing term used as an interjection to express surprise, which is equivalent to ‘wow’ in English.

Usage: E.g. Wa! People mountain people see! (So many f***ing people)

Synonym: 哇

Definition: Known as Kongish, this is a code-mixing phrase that native Hong Kongers use to describe a person who is perverted. (鹹濕)

Usage: E.g. Don't be so salty wet watch girls all the time la.

Synonym: 鹹濕

Reference: https://theculturetrip.com/asia/china/hong-kong/articles/8-colloquialisms-unique-to-cantonese

Definition: A word that seems to have originated from a Chinese emperor, due to it being mistakenly aired from a TVB episode.

Usage: 同朕check吓！(By TVB actor 陳豪)

Synonym: 查

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: 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