Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

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: A code-mixing term used by grassroots Hong Kongers who prefer a QR code rather than a physical a food menu when they eat at a high class restaurant.

Usage: E.g. 入到居酒屋見到張menu唔識叫。(On entering the Izakaya restaurant, I saw the menu but didn't know how to order.)

Synonym: 餐牌

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/3970505/page/1

Definition: A code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to refer to something happening or behaving the same way as before over time.

Usage: E.g. 我：‘I need to stay consistent!’ 講英文人：Consistent 廣東話係乜嘢？(Me: I need to stay consistent! English speaker: What is consistent in Cantonese?)

Synonym: keep住

Reference: https://www.threads.com/@tracywongdc/post/DE-HfeUuJEx

Definition: Ball是指舞會，通常在酒店或大酒樓舉行既宴會，禮貌上是要盛裝出席，我們畢業禮上的prom也可以叫Ball，傳統上同學都會穿著tuxedo或禮服以示尊重。隨時代變遷，宴會的內容簡單化了，穿著隨便些也不是大問題，反正現在的人都轉投去了移民講座，重Ball乜鬼？(Ball refers to dance party, held in a hotel or large restaurant banquet, which we politely attend dressed. A graduation prom can be called Ball, and students wear tuxedo or dress to show respect. As times change, the banquet has simplified, and dressing casually is not a big problem. Anyway, people nowadays have switched to immigration lectures, why go to a ball?)

Usage: 我今晚去Ball, 下午去Révére set頭。(I'm going to a ball tonight, so I'm going to Révére this afternoon to get my hair styled.)

Synonym: 說晚會嫌煩，直接說去Ball好了。(I just don't bother saying 'night party', so it's better to say 'ball'.)

Definition: A code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers as a neutral and factual way of referring to interview feedback of disapproval.

Usage: E.g. 今次interview既feedback都冇D咩negative野。(The interview feedback this time did not have anything negative.)

Synonym: 負面

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/1058101/page/1

Definition: An idiom made popular by the toy product 'Need Son Ng Need Mum', this is a Kongish code-mixing phrase that refers to the Chinese family tradition of favouring sons over daughters in carrying on a bloodline.

Usage: E.g. A: Do you think you come from a traditional family? B: Yes! Need son ng need mum!

Synonym: 要仔唔要乸, 重男輕女

Reference: https://www.threads.com/@apetoys/post/DNfCsgkP2qd/限量預訂嘩曱甴懷孕動物-要仔唔要乸-第六彈-小強系列need-son-ng-need-mum-small-strong-series全12款1隱藏款每盒都有男b

Definition: 好像kam(第6聲)?1的「?」也是由lift翻譯過來，香港開埠以來人民就懂了，沒有人會說「請按升降機」或「請按電梯」，別人會覺得很作。廣東話的精粹是快和短，許多文書上的雙詞在口語上普遍用一個字來形容。這些例子日後再談。(It seems that the "lip" (1st tone) is also translated from 'lift' in English, just like 'kam' (6th tone). Since the start of Hong Kong, people have already understood this. No one will say "please press the elevator" or "please press the escalator". The essence of Cantonese is fast and short. Many doublet words in documents are commonly expressed as one word colloquially.)

Usage: E.g. 大廈部lift最近好嘈， 小弟住高層，我係屋企成日聽到樓上傳來磅磅聲，全日都有呢種聲 (The lift in the building has been very noisy lately. I live on a high floor, and I often hear banging sounds upstairs at home. There is this kind of sound all day long.)

Synonym: 升降機; 電梯

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/3651008/page/1

Definition: A code-mixing phrase used by native Hong Kongers when they want to show how pleased they are towards someone’s achievements, but want to sound less show-off or exaggerated about their feeling.

Usage: E.g. 你考試咁高分，我好proud of你呀。(You scored so high in the exam. I am so proud of you.)

Synonym: 驕傲，自豪

Reference: https://www.threads.com/@grace_interest_english/post/DDthgzMyHsU

Definition: Known as Kongish, this is a code-mixing phrase that native Hong Kongers use to refer to being rejected. (食檸檬)

Usage: E.g. This time eat lemon la，very chaam chaam pig.

Synonym: 食檸檬

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

Definition: A code-mixing term used by upper class Hong Konger girls to refer to having the strength or resilience to handle something emotionally, as in "I can take it", which they can sometimes do to a certain extent.

Usage: E.g. 出到嚟網上有咁多言論一路話我，我就覺得算啦，我係做呢行，我take(接受)咗佢啦，唔緊要啦。但take下take下，都take咗年幾兩年 (When I started working in this industry, there were so many discussions on the Internet talking about me, I thought it was okay because I knew I was in this industry, so I took it, it doesn't matter. But as I kept taking this and taking that, I realised that I had already been taking things in for a few years)

Synonym: 承受; 承受壓力

Reference: https://www.hk01.com/即時娛樂/60359289/jw王灝兒分手後啞忍兩年-眼濕濕平反拜金論-我仲使乜入tvb拍劇?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=01appshare