Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

Definition: Often used together with ‘開心’ meaning happy, this is a code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to refer to experiencing something with others, which means the sharing must very likely be happy or joyful unless it is omitted or stated otherwise.

Usage: E.g. 喂，我同你哋開心Share，呢個笑話太好笑啦 (Hey, I'm happy to share with you all. This joke is too funny!)

Synonym: 分享

Reference: https://www.instagram.com/p/DJ_3EOyTfSy/ (use mobile version)

Definition: A romanised code-mixing phrase that Hong Kong expats use to tell someone to hurry up. The particle 'la' is often added for emphasis.

Usage: Fai di la! The bus is here!

Synonym: 快D啦

Reference: https://geoexpat.com/forum/53/thread22332-2.html

Definition: The Hong Kong way of referring to a female police officer (女警官).

Usage: E.g. 女警：Target出現。全世界出動！下屬：Yes, Madam！

Synonym: 女警官

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

Definition: This is a code-mixing term that is used instead of the Cantonese equivalent '文件夾' to refer to a physical folder or a virtual folder on a computer.

Usage: E.g. 喺你個desktop上面開個folder，然後將你既file放入去。 E.g. 老師：唔該把所有功課放喺你個文件夾入面。同學：吓？文件夾？老師，你係邊到黎架？

Synonym: 文件夾

Definition: A code-mixing term that native Hong Kongers often use to refer to the act of becoming a part of a group or party, but sometimes without the responsibility or effort of attending or participating.

Usage: E.g. A: 今晚join唔join個after party? B: Join左喇，不過懶得去囉。(Will you join the after party tonight? B: I have joined already, but I'm too lazy to go.)

Synonym: 加入，參加

Reference: https://www.threads.com/@harpymill/post/DT0laZJDJNR/video-唔好意思係咪太遲join個party尋秦記-豎琴-harp-香港

Definition: Known as Kongish, this is a code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to refer to an incompetent person of low status. It is the first part of the allegorical saying '未夠斤兩‘, which means the person is not qualified. Since 2 + 6 taels = half catty, it means the person is not much in catty and taels.

Usage: E.g. You two beat six should not be part of our group!

Synonym: 二打六

Reference: https://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/41660/

Definition: A code-mixing term that native Hong Kongers love to use to refer to selecting something on an electronic device, such as by using a mouse or touchpad.

Usage: E.g. 幫手click吓我D廣告啦！

Synonym: 點擊

Reference: https://www.lib.eduhk.hk/pure-data/pub/201705266.pdf

Definition: A code-mixing term used by upper class Hong Kongers who have quite an expectation towards the price of a hamburger.

Usage: E.g. 你一個垃圾burger，要人畀過百蚊，根本冇可能長做長有。(Expecting people to pay over one hundred dollars for a trash burger is not sustainable in the long term.)

Synonym: 漢堡

Reference: https://www.edigest.hk/投資熱話/富二代-鍾培生-fiveguys-執笠-ed01-1934440/2/

Definition: This is a code-mixing phrase that Hong Kongers like to use instead of '諗到' in Cantonese.

Usage: E.g. 我暫時仲未figure out到點樣solve個problem。

Reference: https://english.cool/code-switching/

Definition: A code-mixing term that Hong Kongers use to refer to the total amount of something, such as for goods and services.

Usage: E.g. 呢到total幾多錢呀?

Synonym: 總共

Reference: http://www.cmi.hku.hk/Ref/Article/article02/01.html