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Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

A contemporary Cantonese-English dictionary


10 random words out of 783 results

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。

office

Definition: A code-mixing term that working class Hong Kongers have unconsciously adopted to refer to a workplace because they have used Microsoft Office a bit too much growing up for doing homework and assignments. Usage: E.g. 聽日要返office?唔係打八號風球咩?!(We need to go to office tomorrow? Isn't it gonna be typhoon 8?!)Synonym: 辦公室Reference: https://www.jobmarket.com.hk/m/Bastille/返Shift網民大呻轉返Office工仲辛苦:朝九晚六先係真地獄?

engineer

Definition: A code-mixing term that working class Hong Kongers love to use to refer to a programmer or developer especially if they are one themselves because it makes them sound like a profession. Usage: E.g. A: 你做咩IT行業? 寫program嗰D? B: 唔係。我係engineer。(What kind of IT industry are you from? Are you a programmer? B: No, I am an engineer.)Synonym: 工程師Reference: https://tecky.io/zh_Hant/blog/Programmer-分多少種-2022-23/

all day breakfast

Definition: A code-mixing phrase that upper class Hong Kongers use to refer to the breakfast set that is served all day long, but don't actually eat that often except during breakfast hours. Usage: E.g. 食all day breakfast? 唔好喇掛,就黎六點,食返晚餐好過啦。(Eat all day breakfast? I don't think so since it's about 6 o'clock. I think it's better to eat dinner.)Synonym: 全日早餐Reference: https://www.hk01.com/教煮/93368/all-day-breakfast-麵包雞蛋炸薯花款多-一張圖鑒辨清楚

six seven

Definition: Originated from the song "Doot Doot (6 7)" by Skrilla, this is a code-mixing term used by Gen Z westernised Hong Kongers when they want to say 'I don't know' or refer to something 'so-so' as a rating. Sometimes, it may have no meaning at all, even when the person is juggling both hands up and down excitedly. Coincidently, six seven looks similar to the Cantonese expression '碌柒', which has the literal meaning of 'a stick of dick' and refers to an idiot. Usage: E.g. A: How was the movie? B: Six seven. *Hands juggling up and down* (So-so.) E.g. A: What is the answer to this question? B: Six seven! (I don't f***ing know.)Synonym: 唔撚知, 係喇掛Reference: https://www.instagram.com/p/DQbVj-KkvEX/?hl=en (use mobile version)

uncle feet

Definition: Derived from the punning of '縮腳' with '叔' (uncle) having a similar pronunciation as '縮' (to shrink) , this is a Kongish code-mixing phrase that is used to tell someone to watch their feet. Usage: Eg. I am mopping the floor. Uncle feet!Synonym: 縮腳Reference: https://youtu.be/_3hhDIErE2g?si=SLsZUTCKhV5cfm8x

Eat Cha SIU

Definition: This is a Cantonese slang that refers to a situation where a player has a clear opportunity to score a point. The slangs origin comes from a volleyball game where a sports announcer said "Cha SIU" instead of the word "chance". Although the word came from a volleyball game initially, it's more widely used in badminton games. Usage: That was a total set up for a smash, total Cha SIU! Synonym: 食叉燒Reference: https://zolimacitymag.com/pop-cantonese-生舊叉燒好過生你-better-to-give-birth-to-char-siu-than-you/#:~:text=Sik6%20caa1%20siu,back%20into%20its%20own%20court.

Mommy told you

Definition: A code-mixing phrase used by Hong Kong KOL Janice (janicewanwan) who is known for playing "Jayden’s mother" to emphasize the correctness of her teachings as a typical modern mom, which she says must be correct. Usage: E.g. 中英夾雜有助 children 盡快 pick up English。Mommy told you 嘅一定是 correct 的. (Chinese-English code-mixing aids children in picking up English more quickly. Whatever Mommy told you must be correct.)Synonym: 媽媽告訴你Reference: https://www.hk01.com/即時娛樂/60339385/jayden之亂-中英夾雜潮文橫掃社交平台-諷刺港媽真實育兒方式?utm_campaign=native&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=01webshare#google_vignette

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

workload

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
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