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 910 results

ge

Definition: A Kongish code-mixing term that is similar to the apostrophe + s in English, which is used as a possessive marker. Eg. Peter's car.

Usage: E.g. fyi the box in the pic ge mask is made in china ga lor...

Synonym: 既

Reference: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10111885/3/Li_KD%20revision%20-%20ver%202%20-%20final%20submitted.pdf

Fan Tai Sui

Definition: A romanised code-mixing phrase used by westernised Hong Kongers to refer to a year where one’s Chinese zodiac offends or clashes with the God of Tai Sui, which means the fortune of the year will not be as smooth as others.

Usage: I was born in the year of the snake and I am fan tai sui this year! Let’s go to the temple to pray for protection and peace!

Synonym: 犯太歲

Reference: https://chinesenewyear.net/zodiac/tai-sui/

project

Definition: A word that Hong Kong local students use to refer to a large piece of work, which is often done in group setting.

Usage: E.g. 今學期你有咩group project呀?(課題)

Reference: https://holiday.presslogic.com/article/224449/港式-廣東話-中英夾雜-口語-香港人-搭lift-食lunch

sporty

Definition: A code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to refer to someone who has a habit of doing sports. However, it is also often used to describe someone or something as looking sporty.

Usage: E.g. 你覺得佢邊套最好睇。 第3套望落幾sporty幾健康 (Which one do you think is the best looking? The third one looks quite sporty and healthy.)

Synonym: 運動型

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/2725538/page/1

make sense

Definition: A convenient English phrase used by native Hong Kongers to avoid going into negative detail about someone who does not understand you.

Usage: E.g. 朋友: 喂,你講野好唔make sense喎。你:真的嗎? E.g. 我覺得你講野make sense,不過我唔係太明。 E.g. 你講野都唔make sense,廢鬼事再聽你講。

jumpy

Definition: A code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers to refer to a CV or resume that has a work history of many different jobs in a short period of time.

Usage: E.g. HR:你份CV太jumpy喇!D公司睇到唔會想見你!

Please kindly

Definition: Often seen as redundant, this is a code-mixing phrase used by working class Hong Kongers when they really want to show politeness towards the email's receiver in a request.

Usage: E.g. Please kindly find the attached document.

Synonym: 請

Reference: https://graduate.ctgoodjobs.hk/article/35656/電郵技巧|商用電郵|職場英語-10個打工仔常犯的英文EMAIL錯誤-PLEASE-KINDLY-WELL-RECEIVED-WITH-THANKS-都係錯-內附正確寫法及網上課程

madam

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

unfair advantage

Definition: A code-mixing phrase used by overseas educated Hong Kongers to refer to a unique or distinct competitive edge that a person or company has over others, which is often something that they were born with or started with. The phrase also tends to be more positive and optimistic than the Cantonese equivalent terms, even though some may think the opposite is true.

Usage: E.g. 林作:個世界就係唔公平。你要做既,就係要用任何你身上有可能既unfair advantage。如果你唔識用你靚仔呢樣野,令人覺得你靚仔D,至少比你做intern,咁你就係傻仔。(Jo Lam: The world is unfair as we know it. What you need to do is to make use of any sort of unfair advantage that you intrinsically have. If you don't know how to make use of your advantage in having good looks or make others think you are better looking so that they would at least give you a job as an intern, then you are an idiot.)

Synonym: 不公平的優勢; 不平等的優勢

Reference: https://www.facebook.com/reel/2975035002684251

outstanding

Definition: A code-mixing term that working class Hong Kongers like to use to describe something that is not yet done or paid.

Usage: E.g. 依家仲有咩case係outstanding?

Synonym: 未解決

Define Your Term | Learn More
Feel free to send your comments and suggestions to info@megaexplorer.net.