Define Your Term | Login
What is code-mixing? | Mission | About | Learn More | Downloads | Lectures | Videos |
Instagram Instagram
English | Chinese

Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

A contemporary Cantonese-English dictionary


10 random words out of 783 results

cheung fun

Definition: A code-mixing term used by westernised Hong Kongers to refer to steamed rice noodle rolls, which is a popular snack at street food vendors. However, this is not to be confused with ‘fun cheung’, which means ‘dick face’ in English. Usage: E.g. Let‘s eat some fun cheung at a Chinese restaurant! Sorry, I mean cheung fun!Synonym: 腸粉Reference: https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3318414/what-cheung-fun-different-types-chinese-rice-noodle-rolls-and-how-make-them

no bullsh*t let's go

Definition: A code-mixing term used by upper class Hong Kongers to express how serious a matter is and is no joke at all. Usage: E.g. 鍾培生:Sign the f***ing contract. No bullsh*t let's go.Synonym: 廢話少講, 來吧Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDK59_Yhv6Y

challenge

Definition: An alternative way of referring to someone who's getting on your nerves, as the equivalent term '挑戰' in Cantonese sounds too much like a real duel or battle and hence too provocative to use. Usage: E.g. 老闆:夠喇。你唔好係到挑戰我。你:我幾時有挑戰過你呀?! E.g. 老闆:夠喇。你唔好係到challenge我。你:*silence*Synonym: 挑戰

timing

Definition: Pronounced with a rising intonation on the second syllable, this is a code-mixing term that native Hong Kongers use to refer to doing something at exactly the right time, such as a love relationship. Usage: E.g. 其實愛情都幾講timing。有時要搵啱個timing先可以喺埋一齊。Synonym: 時機Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/60469/page/1

A0

Definition: (textspeak) A Kongish codemixing term that refers to a person who has never been in a relationship before. I.e. Available = 0. Usage: E.g. Nei dou year 4 lah, ng hai lum ju a0 grad har wah. (你都Year 4啦,唔係諗住A0 grad吓話。)Reference: https://www.hk01.com/article/283411?utm_source=01appshare&utm_medium=referral

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

awkward

Definition: A code-mixing term used by overseas educated Hong Kongers to refer to a social situation where one feels very strange and uncomfortable, rather than an embarrassing situation where one feels ashamed or humiliated, as the Cantonese equivalent term '尷尬' can take on any of those two meanings. Usage: E.g. 本來咁多人約左出黎食飯點知得返你地兩個,會唔會覺得好awkward? (Originally many people were going to have a meal together, but only two of you came. Did it feel awkward?)Synonym: 尷尬Reference: https://www.threads.com/@janemanic.english/post/DHpmw9YRm-y/很多人分不清-embarrassedembarrassing-和-awkward雖然它們都有尷尬的意思但用法不同-embarrassed-形容人的感受例如-i-?hl=zh-hk

Night King

Definition: Originated from the Cantonese movie 'Night King' starring Dayo Wong (黃子華), this is a code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to refer to the Lai King MTR station. Usage: E.g. A: 今晚去唔去荔景?B: 好呀。不過荔景幾時變左Night King?!(A: Want to go to Lai King tonight? B: Sure. But when did Lai King become Night King?!)Synonym: 夜王, 荔景Reference: https://www.hk01.com/電影/60330286/夜王-葵芳一角爆紅-港鐵葵芳站改名franchesca-仲有隱藏廣播

funny

Definition: A more neutral-sounding code-mixing term that Hong Kongers use to describe someone's personality as humorous, especially when they are not sure whether to give praise to someone. Usage: E.g. 佢係mix黎既,講野個tone都幾溫柔,然後性格都幾funny吓。Synonym: 搞笑Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uik5GWvXiLA&t=210s

chill

Definition: A code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to mean 'relaxing' (adjective), while real ABC's use it as a verb meaning 'to relax'.  However, Fake ABC's use this term to mean feeling cold. (發冷) Usage: E.g. 我覺得首歌好chill呀,好好聽。(relaxing) E.g. 我地一齊去chill一陣呀?(to relax) E.g. 我覺得好chill呀。閂細D aircon得嗎?(feeling cold)Reference: https://www.hk01.com/開罐/128449/你是否-偽abc-chill-中文意思係咩-10個港人常用錯英文字
Define Your Term | Learn More