Define Your Term | Login
What is code-mixing? | Mission | About | Learn More | Lecture Slides
English | Chinese

Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

A contemporary Cantonese-English dictionary


297 results found

all day breakfast

Definition: A code-mixing phrase that upper class Hong Kongers use to refer to the breakfast set that is served all day long, but don't actually eat that often except during breakfast hours. Usage: E.g. 食all day breakfast? 唔好喇掛,就黎六點,食返晚餐好過啦。(Eat all day breakfast? I don't think so since it's about 6 o'clock. I think it's better to eat dinner.)Synonym: 全日早餐Reference: https://www.hk01.com/教煮/93368/all-day-breakfast-麵包雞蛋炸薯花款多-一張圖鑒辨清楚

meme

Definition: Often pronounced as ‘mee-mee’ with a falling intonation, this is a code-mixing term used by local Hong Kong students to refer to an idea, image or video that is spread quickly on the internet. Usage: E.g. 有冇人覺得香港人整啲meme好撚尷尬???(Does anyone think the memes made by Hong Kong people are so f***ing awkward?)Synonym: 迷因圖, 咪咪Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/2213202/page/18

count down

Definition: A code-mixing term used by westernised Hong Kongers to refer to counting down on New Year’s Eve because they were never familiar with anything related to ‘數' since they never attended local schools that taught difficult Math in Chinese. Usage: E.g. New Year’s Eve嗰日你會去邊到count down? (Where will you go for count down on New Year's Eve?)Synonym: 倒數Reference: https://www.esquirehk.com/lifestyle/east-hong-kong-sugar-anime-skyline-countdown-to-2026-party

canteen

Definition: A code-mixing term that local Hong Kong students prefer to use over 'cafeteria' from American English, which is not only due to Hong Kong having a British colonial history, but also it is closer to the equivalent term '餐廳' pronounced as 'can-ting' in Mandarin. Usage: E.g. 快啲落canteen霸位食飯啦!(Let's head down to hog the seats at the canteen to have a meal!)Synonym: 餐廳, 飯堂Reference: https://www.reddit.com/r/etymology/comments/m1ytyg/question_etymology_of_canteen_from_french_italian/

list out

Definition: Often mistakened as grammatically incorrect and seen as redundant with ‘out’ conforming to ‘列出‘ in Cantonese, this is a code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers to refer to jotting down a number of items on a piece of paper or device. Usage: E.g. 你可以先list out所有項目,然後研究每一個點樣做。(You may first list out all the items, then study how each one can be done.)Synonym: 列出Reference: https://ludwig.guru/s/list+out

fact check

Definition: Often pronounced as 'fat check', this is a code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers to refer to verifying the validity and accuracy of something. Usage: E.g. 洗唔洗fact check一吓呢個人係真定係假?(Do we need to fact check this person to see if he is real or fake?)Synonym: 事實查核Reference: https://medialiteracy.hk/不看你絕對後悔:fact-check背後的「真相」/

Merry Christmas

Definition: A code-mixing phrase that native Hong Kongers prefer to use to accompany Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus because they can experience the happiness first with ‘merry’ compared to the Cantonese equivalent ’聖誕節快樂‘ where the happiness '快樂‘ is placed after Christmas. Usage: E.g. 聖誕節又黎喇!Merry Christmas! (Christmas is coming! Merry Christmas!)Synonym: 聖誕節快樂, 聖誕快樂Reference: https://www.weekendhk.com/香港好去處/聖誕好去處-商場-打卡-飄雪-3275849/

sauce

Definition: A code-mixing term that westernised Hong Kongers love to use to refer to anything that looks like a sauce. Usage: E.g. 半唐番: 可唔可以比啲sauce我? 香港人: 唔係sauce黎架,係醋!(ABC: Can you pass me the sauce? Hong Konger: It's not sauce. It's vinegar!) E.g. 半唐番: 可唔可以比啲sauce我? 香港人: 唔係sauce黎架,係豉油!(ABC: Can you pass me the sauce? Hong Konger: It's not sauce. It's see-yau!)Synonym: 醬Reference: https://auntieemily.com/soy-sauce-chow-mein/

family time

Definition: A code-mixing phrase used by upper class Hong Kongers to refer to the all sorts of time spent with one's family, which aren't necessarily quality time but rather for the purposes of occasion. Usage: E.g. 節日就黎到,記住唔好去旅行,留返啲時間一齊食飯同family time。(Holiday is coming. Remember not to go travelling but spare some time eating a meal together and having family time.)Synonym: 家庭時間Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/3704109/page/10

travel

Definition: A chique sounding code-mixing term used by upper class Hong Kongers to refer to going on a trip without quite knowing the particular destination. Usage: E.g. A: 今次假期又去邊到呀? B: 唔知呀,我鍾意去呢到travel吓,又去嗰到travel吓,總之去到邊就邊囉。(A: Where will you go this holiday? B: I don't know. I just like to travel here and travel there, just wherever I travel then where I go.)Synonym: 旅遊