174 results found
Definition: A romanised code-mixing term used by westernised Hong Kongers to refer to the red packets of cash given as gifts during Chinese New Year. Even though the first character of the phrase should be pronounced as 'lai' or 'lei' with a short vowel in Cantonese, it is often pronounced as 'laai' with a long vowel when in romanised form, leading to the expression sounding like 'laai see' (瀨屎), which means to poop in one's pants in Cantonese.
Usage: E.g. Expat: Have you got any lai see during Chinese New Year? HK'er: Laai see? Sure! I have laaaai see today. Just kidding.Synonym: 利是Reference: https://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/2007/
Definition: A code-mixing term that only upper class Hong Kongers know how to use to refer to a meal where people serve themselves the food because of the French origin of the word which makes it so hard to pronounce properly.
Usage: E.g. A: 放假不如食buffet呀？B: 你指蒲飛？(A: What about eating buffet during holiday? B: You mean po-fei?)Synonym: 蒲飛Reference: https://hk.news.yahoo.com/生日飯-餐廳-推介-推薦-生日餐廳-235652146.html
Definition: Pronounced as 'm-tee-ah-lo', this is a code-mixing term used by the grassroot class Hong Kongers to refer to the train station.
Usage: E.g. Foreigner: Excuse me, where is the MTR?
HK'er: What?
Foreigner: Where is the 'm-tee-ah-lo'?
HK'er: Oh I understand! 'm-tee-ah-lo' is over there!Synonym: 港鐵
Definition: An alternative way of referring to someone who's getting on your nerves, as the equivalent term '挑戰' in Cantonese sounds too much like a real duel or battle and hence too provocative to use.
Usage: E.g. 老闆：夠喇。你唔好係到挑戰我。你:我幾時有挑戰過你呀？！
E.g. 老闆：夠喇。你唔好係到challenge我。你:*silence*Synonym: 挑戰
Definition: Often pronounced as 'ha-lo', this is a code-mixing term that native Hong Kongers often use to greet somebody instead of '你好', which sounds too formal sometimes.
Usage: E.g. Ha-lo，我叫Peter。你叫咩名？Synonym: 哈佬
Definition: A code-mixing term used by Hong Kong policemen when they want to take legal or enforcement action to deal with a situation. At other times, it can simply be used to describe an action that one must take in order to further one's progress.
Usage: E.g. 如果比我地警方查到你犯法，我地會take action。(If our police force finds out that you have broken the law, we will take action.)
E.g. 依加我地唔上唔落咁又唔敢再take action住。(Right now, our relationship is not getting anymore so I am afraid of taking any actions yet.)Synonym: 採取行動Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/1671360/page/1
Definition: This is a code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to refer to social class. However, it is often pronounced as 'car' or 'car屎' by grassroot class Hong Kongers.
Usage: E.g. 喂呢間餐廳好high car屎喎。
E.g. 今日洗唔洗著到咁high car屎呀?
E.g. 唔好成日扮到咁high car啦。中左六合彩咩？Synonym: 階層
Definition: Often pronounced with a '屎' (faeces) at the end of the word, this is a code-mixing term that Hong Kongers often use to refer to having the ability to recognise something good. ('有品味')
Usage: E.g. 哇，你識揀呢件衫，真係好有taste呀！Synonym: 品味Reference: http://www.cmi.hku.hk/Ref/Article/article02/01.html
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