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

Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

A contemporary Cantonese-English dictionary


10 random words out of 725 results

head

Definition: 1. (noun) Often used as 'Ah head', this is a code-mixing term that refers to the boss or leader of a company or department. 2. (verb) Used to refer to being led by a person, usually someone of higher authority. Usage: E.g. 你間公司個阿Head係邊個?我要見佢!\nE.g. 你醒目就唔會成日比人head住啦。Synonym: 阿頭

show me your love rice

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/

big tangerine and red packets

Definition: Known as Kongish, this is a code-mixing phrase that native Hong Kongers when someone sneezes, which is similar to 'Bless you!' in English. (大吉利是) Usage: E.g. A: Ack-choo! B: Big tangerine and red packets!Synonym: 大吉利是

goodest

Definition: A Kongish code-mixing term that local Hong Kongers use to refer to something of the best quality. Usage: E.g. 2000FUN討論區是香港最「Goodest」。Synonym: 最好,bestReference: https://evchk.fandom.com/zh/wiki/Goodest

dead air

Definition: This is a code-mixing term that Hong Kongers like to use instead of '冷場' (laang5 ceong4), which literally translates to 'cold scene'. Usage: E.g. 考口試最緊要唔好dead air。Synonym: 冷場Reference: https://www.gotrip.hk/生活/中英夾雜-港式廣東話-gt12-772959/

off

Definition: A more polite way of telling somebody to shut up or '收皮' in Cantonese, which means to pack their things up and leave. (Also see 'collect skin') Usage: E.g. Off啦你,成日咁多野講。E.g. Off啦你,成日搞搞陣冇幫襯。Reference: https://zolimacitymag.com/pop-cantonese-收皮-collect-skin/

tap C

Definition: Often mistakened as mispronunciation, this is a code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to refer to the USB Type-C connector or port that is used by a variety of peripheral devices, such as PC's, laptops, mobile devices, mice, etc. Usage: E.g. 事關上面Type C 的Tape 音。所以有點疑惑: Type-C 是一個term, 所以讀法唔同?(Regarding the above link's Tape pronunciation of Type C, I have the following question: If Type-C is a term, does it pronounce differently?)Synonym: Type CReference: https://m.review33.com/forum_msg.php?db=3&tstart=0&s=&topic=85220221230810&number=6&sort=1

team work

Definition: A code-mixing term used by Hong Kong celebrity tutors to refer to a collaborative effort of a group to achieve a common goal. Usage: E.g. 狀元培育向來都是team work. (Nurturing top scorers has always been team work.)Synonym: 團體合作Reference: https://www.instagram.com/p/DRGmhTQjT1N/?igsh=NWtoNHZ6OGRyOW8x (use mobile version)

recap

Definition: A highly efficient code-mixing term that working class Hong Kongers use when they want to do a short summary of what happened in a period of time without sounding so repetitive, old school and verbose as '概括重述' denotes. Usage: E.g. 不如我地一齊recap一下今個week做左咩?(What about doing a recap of what we did this week?)Synonym: 概括重述Reference: https://ezone.hk/article/20052634/香港職場中英夾雜用語-內地網民舉30個例子-表示識粵語都無法理解

jo sun

Definition: A code-mixing term used by real ABC Hong Kongers to say good morning because they cannot pronounce the Cantonese equivalent words '早晨' properly. Usage: E.g. ABC:Jo sun! 本土香港人:吓?你講咩話? ABC:Good morning!Synonym: 早晨
Define Your Term | Learn More