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Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

A contemporary Cantonese-English dictionary


10 random words out of 783 results

care

Definition: A code-mixing term used by native Hong Kong businessmen to refer to something that they give a damn about, as the equivalent terms '理', '在乎' or '關心' in Cantonese sound too romantic or loving in a professional setting. Usage: E.g. 我唔care你要OT到幾多點,總之要幫我搞掂。 E.g. 其實我都好care我既員工既福利。 E.g. 艾東care! (I don't care!)Synonym: 理; 在乎; 關心

See you tomorrow

Definition: It's slang for when a person eats something and it's unsuccessfully digested. Resulting in the food being pooped out the next day still intact. Usage: I'll pass on corn or string mushrooms guys. I don't want a "see you tomorrow" situation happening tomorrow morning

one man band

Definition: A code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers to refer to a job position that covers almost all the duties that an entire department has. Usage: E.g. 我份工係one man band,所以都幾忙架。Synonym: 一腳踢Reference: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/一腳踢

soft

Definition: A code-mixing term used by overseas educated Hong Kongers to refer to not being strict enough when managing people. Also, it often tends to depict a weakness in character by describing a person is not forceful or harsh enough. Usage: E.g. 同事話我太soft管唔到學生,我聽完好灰。(My colleague said I am too soft and cannot manage students like this. I felt very grey afterwards.)Synonym: 不嚴厲Reference: https://www.instagram.com/reels/DU-fcZMgjI7/ (use mobile version)

native

Definition: A code-mixing term that refers to someone who was born or grew up in a particular country, which Hong Kongers find it a lot more convenient to use than the Cantonese equivalent words because it requires much less linguistic effort. Usage: E.g. 你係唔係native speaker黎架?(講本國語既人) E.g. 你D英文係咪native架?(純正本土口音)Reference: https://www.studocu.com/hk/document/city-university-of-hong-kong/world-englishes/lecture-3-city-university-of-hong-kongen5714-world-englishes-and-the-social-context-of/20063922

mix

Definition: A code-mixing term that refers to a person with a mixed-race descent. Usage: E.g. A:你係唔係mix黎架?B:乜我似mix咩?多謝。E.g. A:你係唔係mix黎架?B:係!當然係啦!我係澳門香港mix呀!Synonym: 混血兒

invoice

Definition: The Hong Kong way of referring to the invoice sent to customers, as '發票' is rarely used. Usage: E.g. 張invoice send左比個客未呀? E.g. 喂,你咁快send左invoice黎係咪想追我數呀?Synonym: 發票

KT

Definition: A code-mixing term that native Hong Kongers use to refer to the places Kwun Tong or Kai Tak interchangebly. Usage: E.g.「約咗男朋友出街,地點係啟德,佢話係6:30 kt等,我6:30到咗,問佢係邊,佢話就到觀塘,我:???唔係6:30啟德等咩?佢話kt係觀塘。」(I arranged to go out with my boyfriend, the place is Kai Tak. He said wait at KT at 6:30, so I arrived at 6:30. Then I asked where he was, he said he was arriving at Kwun Tong. I said, 'What? I thought it was 6:30 at Kai Tak.' He said KT is Kwun Tong.)Synonym: 觀塘, 啟德Reference: https://www.instagram.com/p/DVsSQu4CEvp/?igsh=ejZ5bzB5NGhjbHpx (use mobile version)

bonus

Definition: A chic-sounding code-mixing term that refers to year-end bonus (花紅) in Cantonese. Usage: E.g. 你間公司今個年尾有bonus嗎?Reference: https://aclanthology.org/O09-5003.pdf

job

Definition: A code-mixing term that Hong Kongers use to refer to an employment position. (工作) Usage: E.g. A:搵到job未呀? B:搵緊喇。\nE.g. A:近排有接job嗎? B:好似好多人搶job。Synonym: 工作Reference: https://freehunter.hk/news/freelancer搵job三大必睇重點
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