Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

Definition: A code-mixing term used by local Hong Kong students to refer to a simulated military battle game where air guns are used. It is more appropriate to use than the Cantonese equivalent ‘野戰‘ because fighting a wild battle has sexual connotations in Cantonese.

Usage: E.g. 男：不如一齊打war game好嗎？ 女：好呀 (Boy: What about playing war game together? Girl: Sure!) E.g. 男：不如一齊打野戰好嗎？女：*啪！* (Boy: What about fighting a wild battle together? Girl: *Slap!*

Synonym: 野戰

Reference: https://www.cuhk.edu.hk/lin/cbrc/cbcl/doc/ppt/david_li.pdf

Definition: Known as Kongish, this is a code-mixing term added to the end of verbs to express the meaning of completely or to a large extent. (晒 - saai3)

Usage: E.g. Mm goi sai! (Thank you so much!) 唔該晒 E.g. Dor jeh sai! (Thank you very much!) 多謝晒 E.g. Jo sai! (Done everything!) 做晒 E.g. Sik sai! (Eaten everything!) 食晒 E.g. Mo sai! (No more left!) 冇晒

Synonym: 晒

Reference: http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/1592/

Definition: A code-mixing term used by all sorts of Hong Kongers to refer to the popular trading card game called Magic the Gathering.

Usage: E.g. A: 打唔打magic呀? B: 等我整吓我個deck先再同你揪。(A: Do you want to play magic? B: Let me sort out my deck first before I dual with you.)

Synonym: Magic the Gathering, 魔法風雲會

Reference: https://magic.wizards.com/zh-Hant

Definition: Often pronounced as 'fi-lo' with a rising tone on the second syllable, this is a code-mixing term that is more generic to be used for a number of different items in Cantonese.

Usage: E.g. 唔該copy呢個file比我。（電腦檔案） E.g. 買多個file儲住D紀錄。（文件夾） E.g. 警察：我哋會睇返呢單case既file。（檔案）

Synonym: 文件夾; 檔案

Reference: https://aclanthology.org/O09-5003.pdf

Definition: A code-mixing term that local Hong Kongers like to use to refer to a serious disease that kills normal cells and causes death.

Usage: E.g. A：唔好食咁多公仔麵，如果咪生cancer架。B：啋過你把口！

Synonym: 癌

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

Definition: A code-mixing term that Fake ABC Hong Kongers use when they want to challenge another person’s English by stressing the prestigious 'r' sound in English even when there is no r sound in an English word.

Usage: E.g. Do you know Engrish? E.g. I'm sorry I don't speak Chinese. Can you speak Engrish?

Synonym: English

Reference: https://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Engrish&oldformat=true&variant=zh-hk

Definition: A code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers as a softer way of not responding to someone without acting like that person isn't there at all.

Usage: E.g. 畀男朋友ignore到灰 (I am being ignored by my boyfriend to the point of being very sad.)

Synonym: 無視

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/361401/page/5

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)

Definition: Known as Kongish, this is a code-mixing term that refers to chatting casually or bragging about something.

Usage: E.g. 收皮啦！唔好再blow water！

Synonym: 吹水

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

Definition: A code-mixing term that local Hong Kongers use to refer to a small wireless unit that is plugged into a computer’s USB port for receiving signals for a keyboard or mouse.

Usage: E.g. 有冇見過我個receiver? 我好似唔見左。

Synonym: 接收器