Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

Definition: A code-mixing term that Hong Kongers use to refer to getting a facial treatment.

Usage: E.g. 日日做facial塊面先至靚架麻。 E.g. 做緊facial咪鬼打黎啦。

Reference: https://www.gushiciku.cn/dl/0pydp/zh-hk

Definition: A code-mixing term that Hong Kong students like use to refer to highlighting important information with a highlighter pen. (瑩光筆）

Usage: E.g. 學生：等我highlight句野先，方便溫書嗰陣時。 老師：考試時記住帶返支highlighter。冇既就要underline架喇。

Reference: https://www.weekendhk.com/weekspecial/中英夾雜-港式廣東話-香港人-ctb081-hc-1413297/3/

Definition: A code-mixing term that westernised Hong Kongers often use when they are excited to hear about another person's experience(s) in something, as the term is also countable as opposed to the Cantonese equivalent term.

Usage: E.g. 可以同大家share吓你既travelling experiences嗎? (Could you share your travelling experiences with all of us?)

Synonym: 經驗

Reference: https://urbanpixxels.com/best-things-to-do-in-hong-kong/

Definition: Known as Kongish, this is a code-mixing term used to describe something that is very good or awesome.

Usage: E.g. The food is so jeng! (正) E.g. The movie was ho jeng ah! (好正呀)

Synonym: 正

Reference: https://theculturetrip.com/asia/china/hong-kong/articles/12-phrases-you-need-to-know-before-you-visit-hong-kong#:~:text=An%20alternative%20to%20“hou%20ging,jeng”%20if%20something%20is%20awesome.

Definition: A code-mixing term used by overseas educated Hong Kongers use to emphasize how much paper work needs to be done when conducting studies of a subject, rather than just merely studying as the Cantonese equivalent '研究' denotes.

Usage: E.g. 我兒家part-time喺大學做research，好忙架。(I am now part-time doing research at university, very busy.)

Synonym: 研究

Reference: https://www.threads.com/@146snk/post/DKQjVZnhSNU/香港嘅bachelor訓練根本就冇乜預你去做research所以根本唔會教你點申請mphilphd-點樣寫research-proposal-點樣approac

Definition: Derived from the Chinese term '內卷' and often translated as 'involution', this is an Englishised code-mixing term that describes an economic situation where excessive competition does not lead to development and innovation. This may lead to people feeling stressed, anxious, and trapped, as the two characters mean 'inside rolling'.

Usage: E.g. I'm stuck in the rat race! I'm so tired of competing with everyone just to climb the career ladder!

Synonym: 內卷

Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjTg1G8rpVc

Definition: (textspeak, vulgar) A Kongish code-mixing term derived from '痴撚線', which is used to describe someone who has gone crazy or insane. (Also see 'chi sin'.)

Usage: E.g. CLS公司俾得果幾千蚊人工仲要人日日OT..

Synonym: 痴撚線

Reference: https://hkdic.my-helper.com/CLS/

Definition: Usually placed at the start of a clause or sentence, this is a code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to replace the phrase '無論如何', meaning 'no matter what' in Cantonese.

Usage: E.g. 我知你好忙，但anyhow，你一定要幫我。

Synonym: 點都好

Definition: A way to avoid sounding too imaginative when you want to suggest things that are impossible to happen.

Usage: E.g. Let’s say你有日比人老粒左，你會點呢？ E.g. Let’s say你考試肥佬左，你會點面對你家人？ E.g. Let's say你比人打獲金，你會唔會還拖？

Definition: A shortened form of 'sorry' that is often used by Hong Kongers.

Usage: E.g. Sor，唔小心踩到你。 E.g. *碰到人* Sor，sor，sor。

Synonym: Sorry, 對唔住