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Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

A contemporary Cantonese-English dictionary


23 results found

note

Definition: Often added with a 屎 (faeces), this is a code-mixing term that local Hong Kongers use to refer to short pieces of information written down on paper.

Usage: E.g. 阿仔,上堂記住drop低D note屎呀!

Synonym: 筆記

Reference: https://www.threads.net/@hongtonese/post/C8zlfwZytLZ

notebook

Definition: A code-mixing term that Hong Kong students use to refer to '手提電腦'.

Usage: E.g. 老師,上堂可以比帶自己notebook嗎?

Synonym: 手提電腦

Reference: http://www.patrickchu.net/uploads/9/0/5/3/9053324/2007_free_ppt.pdf

1999

Definition: Derived from '一舊舊' meaning 'in lumps', this is a code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers to refer to someone talking in an unclear, broken manner. Sometimes, it can also refer to work being done in a sloppy way.

Usage: E.g. 最後功能就係開會叫晒啲落手做既同business owner黎自己傾,自己就成個文員咁係側邊mark notes,有啲廢pm就連呢part都做到1999要人事後叫佢改 (E.g. The last useful thing they would do is to hold a meeting that lets the workers and business owners to talk to each other, and the project manager would just be like a clerk marking notes at the side. Some crappy project managers would even do this part in a very sloppy way that people needed to tell them to revise it afterwards.)

Synonym: 一舊舊

Reference: https://www.timeout.com/hong-kong/things-to-do/cantonese-internet-and-texting-slang-to-use-right-now

take

Definition: A versatile code-mixing term that local Hong Kong students use in a variety of situations, depending on the context. However, the recently popular phrase of 'take嘢' can also be roughly translated into a number of different things and not only refer to taking drugs, as the Cantonese word '嘢' has a literal meaning of 'thing'.

Usage: E.g. 你諗住take邊科? (Which subject will you take?) E.g. 我要take個sick leave. (I will need to take a sick leave.) E.g. 上堂要記住take notes. (Remember to take notes during lesson.)

Synonym: 拿取, 攞, 拎

Reference: https://www.threads.com/@the.dialoguer/post/DWT7-WdlIxw?xmt=AQF0JUqJJsoEVSjTxoX99nK5oYLe0PIoT4tb5CseE3XE-w

AI

Definition: A code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers as a trendier way to refer to artificial intelligence because it sounds more powerful like an entity that is capable of operating on its own rather than something that is just man-made as the Cantonese term denotes.

Usage: 上司:萬一發現AI可以取代你,高層要郁你我都保你唔住呀。你見我隻字不提你就好醒水啦,AI咁勁,分分鐘郁埋我㗎死仔 (Boss: In case people find out that AI can replace you, I can't protect you if the senior executives have to fire you. You see I am not mentioning anything to them so you better be smart. Since AI is so powerful, it might even fire me in a minute, you brat.)

Synonym: 人工智能

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/3874628/page/1

assignment

Definition: A code-mixing term that Hong Kong teachers love to use to imply to students that there is some standard to adhere to or duty to be taken for the task given to them, rather than something that requires much effort as the Cantonese phrase ‘功課‘ denotes.

Usage: E.g. 記住assignment要自己做,唔好抄人地或用AI。(Remember that you must do the assignment by yourself, and not copy others or use AI.)

Synonym: 功課

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/1883876/page/1

Boxing Day

Definition: Originated from a tradition where people would donate gifts to those in need, this is a code-mixing term used by upper class Hong Kongers who do not want to be misunderstood as the day on which they would open presents, as the Cantonese equivalent terms denote the opening of presents on that day.

Usage: E.g. 聽日就係boxing day。你會去邊到shopping?(Tomorrow is boxing day. Where will you go shopping?)

Synonym: 節禮日, 拆禮物日

Reference: https://zh-yue.wikipedia.org/wiki/拆禮物日

casual

Definition: 1. (noun) A word used instead of the Cantonese equivalent to denote the meaning of casual wear. 2. (verb) A word used to tell another person to be casual, informal, and relaxed. 3. (adj.) A word used to describe something as being informal, such as an event.

Usage: E.g. 同事: 聽日著casual得喇,知道嗎? E.g. 今日食飯casual D得喇。(隨便) E.g. 我聽日要去個casual既聚會。(非正式)

Synonym: 隨便; 非正式

Reference: https://www.esquirehk.com/mens-talk/simon-shen-hong-kong-english-chinese

deadline

Definition: A code-mixing term used by Hong Kong teachers to make it clear and explicit that their students are essentially dead if they hand in their homework or assignment late, as the Cantonese equivalent phrase ‘截止日期’ does not denote the meaning of death at all.

Usage: E.g. 聽日就係deadline, 唔交功課就零雞蛋!(Tomorrow is deadline. If you do not hand in your homework, you will get a zero mark!)

Synonym: 截止日期

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/809281/page/1

gun

Definition: (textspeak) Transliterated from ‘緊‘, this is a Kongish code-mixing term that is added to the end of verbs to denote the sense of ongoing, just like the ‘ing’ in English as in ‘doing’.

Usage: E.g. Nei jo gun d meh ar? (你做緊d咩呀?) E.g. Ngo sik gun farn ah. (我食緊飯呀)

Synonym: 緊

Reference: https://hklanguage.home.blog/tag/kongish/

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