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Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

A contemporary Cantonese-English dictionary


148 results found

water

Definition: Known as Kongish, this is code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to refer to money and lots of different things. Usage: E.g. Blow water. (吹水 - to chat casually or brag about something) E.g. Measure water. (磅水 - to give money) E.g. Return water. (回水 - to return money) E.g. Clear water. (通水 - to give secret info like a test) E.g. Draw water. (抽水 - to get profit or benefit for free) E.g. One lump of water. (一舊水 - one hundred dollars) E.g. What water? (乜水 - who the heck are you?)Reference: https://topick.hket.com/article/679575/%E5%BB%A3%E6%9D%B1%E8%A9%B1%E8%80%83%E8%B5%B7%E4%BD%A0%E3%80%80%E3%80%8C%E6%B0%B4%E3%80%8D%E5%AD%97%E6%9C%89%E5%B9%BE%E5%A4%9A%E7%A8%AE%E6%84%8F%E6%80%9D%EF%BC%9F
Definition: Known as Kongish, this is a code-mixing idiom used by native Hong Kongers to describe a situation where you cannot force someone into seeking help if they do not accept it. Usage: E.g. I offered to help him with his homework but he never sent it over. Oh well... if the cow doesn't drink water, you cannot press the cow's head down.Synonym: 牛唔飲水唔撳得牛頭低Reference: https://www.localiiz.com/post/culture-local-stories-popular-cantonese-idioms

Wa

Definition: Known as Kongish, this is a code-mixing term used as an interjection to express surprise, which is equivalent to ‘wow’ in English. Usage: E.g. Wa! People mountain people see! (So many f***ing people)Synonym: 哇

swap

Definition: A code-mixing term that overseas educated Hong Kongers use in place of the Cantonese equivalent '交換'. Usage: E.g. A:我地swap一個球員好唔好?B:好呀,我同你swap啦。Synonym: 交換

blow water

Definition: Known as Kongish, this is a code-mixing term that refers to chatting casually or bragging about something. Usage: E.g. 收皮啦!唔好再blow water!Synonym: 吹水Reference: https://hklanguage.home.blog/tag/kongish/

warm up

Definition: A code-mixing term that can also be used to refer to a non-human object. Usage: E.g. 咁快開波?等我warm up吓先。 E.g. 同事A:喂,部機咁慢既? 同事B:部機要warm up吓先得架。

By the way

Definition: A code-mixing phrase used by native Hong Kongers to avoid seeming as if you have almost forgotten to mention something. Usage: E.g. By the way, 你可唔可以幫我搞掂埋呢份proposal? E.g. By the way, 你今晚幾時得閒呀?

anyway

Definition: A term used by native Hong Kongers to divert one topic to another in a polite manner. Usage: E.g. 係呀,個proposal已經搞掂了。Anyway, 我兒家要去開meeting。 E.g. 份proposal仲未搞掂?Anyways, 我兒家要食lunch喇。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

Pokemon card

Definition: A code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers who are obsessed with the Pokemon trading card game that they are willing to collect and resell pokemon cards of the highest values. Usage: E.g. 藍田站交收 20 萬 Pokemon Card 慘被搶。(A man was robbed while exchanging $200,000 worth of Pokemon Cards at Lam Tin Station.)Synonym: 精靈寶可夢 (China), 神奇寶貝 (Taiwan), 寵物小精靈 (Hong Kong), ポケモンカードゲーム (Japan)Reference: https://ezone.hk/article/20085941/藍田站交收-萬-pokemon-card-慘被搶去卡錢盡失-網民嘲-咁貴都唔出閘面交/1

yeet hay

Definition: With a literal meaning of 'hot air', this is a romanised code-mixing term used by westernised Hong Kongers to refer to having overheat from eating too much spicy or fried foods, leading to pimples and freckles growing on your face or even buttocks. Also, yeet hay seems to only exist in Chinese medicine but not western medicine according to native Hong Kongers. Usage: E.g. A: Do you want to eat barbeque? B: No thanks, I am very yeet hay recently.Synonym: 熱氣Reference: https://www.instagram.com/reels/C7PVDJZpVgq/