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Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

A contemporary Cantonese-English dictionary


10 random words out of 852 results

grad

Definition: A shortened code-mixing term that refers to the verb 'graduate'.  Sometimes, it is used as a noun.

Usage: E.g. 同學:你唔係怕grad唔到呀嗎? 同事:你做左幾年野?。你:我係fresh grad黎架。

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

depends

Definition: A way to sound more certain and less hesitant when your friend/boyfriend/girlfriend is asking you whether you want to do something with him or her.

Usage: E.g. 朋友: 聽日去唔去睇戲呀? 你: Depends啦。 E.g. 女朋友: 係咪聽日去shopping呀? 你: Depends啦。 E.g. 女朋友: 係咪聽日去shopping呀? 你: 睇下點啦。 *啪!*

Synonym: 睇下點

job hunting

Definition: A code-mixing term that working class Hong Kongers use to refer to the activity of finding a job, which definitely sounds more fun, exciting and challenging than the Cantonese equivalent terms '求職' and '找工作'.

Usage: E.g. A: 你搵到工嗎? B: 冇呀,我仲喺到job hunting。

Synonym: 求職, 找工作

Reference: https://www.reddit.com/r/HongKong/comments/1opsow8/job_hunting_socialising_in_hk/

dead cow's one-sided neck

Definition: Known as Kongish, this is a phrase used by native Hong Kongers to describe someone who is so stubborn that their neck is like leaning towards one side.

Usage: E.g. Listen to us for once! Don't be always so dead cow's one-sided neck la!

Synonym: 死牛一邊頸

pick up

Definition: A code-mixing phrase that a Jayden Mami loves to use to refer to a more casual way of learning something rather than the formal way of acquiring skills and information.

Usage: E.g. Jayden呀,有時間就去pick up English啦。你唔用既話會好快forget架。(Jayden, go and pick up English when you have time. If you don't use it, you will forget it.)

Synonym: 學識; 練習

Reference: https://hk.amazingtalker.com/questions/8407

nice

Definition: A way to express how nice someone is on the surface.

Usage: E.g. 佢個人好nice,但係識耐左先知道原來係虛偽。E.g. 佢個人好nice,不過唔知個人好唔好呢?

Synonym: 友善

ying

Definition: Known as Kongish, this is a code-mixing term that native Hong Kongers use to describe something or someone that is cool, handsome, or stylish. (型 - ying4)

Usage: E.g. Wa! You look so ying today! (型)

Synonym: 型

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

so

Definition: A shortened term for the word 'socialise' in English, which may mean different things in various situations.

Usage: E.g. 喂,你so吓人好喎?(to show that you care about others) E.g. 喂,唔好成日掛住soD女仔啦。(to court somebody) E.g. 喂,後生仔要出黎soso吓先得架嘛。(to socialise) E.g. 喂,你最近好似唔係好so-so喎。(being social)

Excellent

Definition: Used in a famous quote in the movie of Night King, this is a code-mixing term used by Hong Kong celebrity Dayo Wong (黃子華) to emphasize that nothing can beat something that is truly excellent.

Usage: E.g. 乜能都唔及Excellent. (Nothing can compare to Excellent.)

Synonym: 頂級

Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BM1q2CIepLQ

I mean

Definition: A tag-switching phrase often used by Native Hong Kongers for clarifying on matters. However, it can sometimes be overused by Fake ABC's to strike a western impression on others.

Usage: E.g. 份project未搞掂呀。I mean,我岩岩做完要check吓先。 E.g. 港女:你應該食少D野。I mean,你應該減吓肥至岩。 E.g. 香港人:你講咩話?偽ABC:I mean,well... I mean,我覺得你身材唔係好fit囉I mean。

Reference: https://www.academia.edu/8666953/Common_usage_of_code-mixing_among_trilingual_Hong_Kongers

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