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Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

A contemporary Cantonese-English dictionary


10 random words out of 33 results

offer

Definition: A code-mixing term used by overseas educated Hong Kongers to refer to the initial notification sent by a university presenting an acceptance of an applicant for a course, often provided that the applicant fulfills a number of conditions and the payment as well. Usage: E.g. A: 大學出左offer比你未? B: 收到同接受左喇,但係仲未正式取錄。(A: Have you received the offer from university yet? B: I received it and accepted it, but the admission is not officially confirmed yet.)Synonym: 取錄, 錄取通知Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/2632592/page/1

depends

Definition: A way to sound more certain and less hesitant when your friend/boyfriend/girlfriend is asking you whether you want to do something with him or her. Usage: E.g. 朋友: 聽日去唔去睇戲呀? 你: Depends啦。 E.g. 女朋友: 係咪聽日去shopping呀? 你: Depends啦。 E.g. 女朋友: 係咪聽日去shopping呀? 你: 睇下點啦。 *啪!*Synonym: 睇下點

lang

Definition: A code-mixing term that overseas educated Hong Kongers use to refer to '靚', which describes something as beautiful or good-looking. Usage: E.g. No, but seriously it’s really lang, you are the one who said hou ce right?Reference: http://www.lingref.com/isb/4/039ISB4.PDF

elaborate

Definition: A code-mixing term used by local and overseas educated Hong Kongers when they want to testify a person's knowledge or believe that the other person can be more eloquent in expressing their ideas. Usage: E.g. 唔好意思。我唔明你講咩喎。你可以elaborate一吓嗎?(I’m sorry. But I don’t understand what you are talking about. Can you elaborate?)Synonym: 詳細說明

approach

Definition: A code-mixing term that overseas educated Hong Kongers use to refer the way in which a person can start a conversation with someone, especially for the purpose of drawing nearer to them in relationship or distance. Usage: E.g. 到底可以點approach男仔? (How on earth can I approach boys?)Synonym: 靠近Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/546513/page/13

accommodation

Definition: A code-mixing term used by overseas educated Hong Kongers to refer to a place to stay or live, which they believe should be provided by companies or schools that are accommodating. Usage: E.g. 個人建議你有得報學校accommodation就報左先。(Personally, I suggest that you should apply for the school's accommodation if you can.) E.g. 你公司幫你搵咩accommodation?(What accommodation does your company provide?)Synonym: 住宿Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/3555364/page/32

It's even worse

Definition: A code-mixing phrase used by overseas educated Hong Kongers to describe something as more inferior in quality than another without saying it's of bad quality. Usage: E.g. 我去過呢間bar。It's even worse!Synonym: 更加差Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/3047481/page/1

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

research

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

insight

Definition: A code-mixing term used by overseas educated Hong Kongers when they want to ask for a deeper analytical understanding of something. Usage: E.g. 你睇完本書有咩insight? (What insights do you have after reading the book?)Synonym: 見解; 睇法Reference: https://www.lib.eduhk.hk/pure-data/pub/202301935/202301935_1.pdf
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