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Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

A contemporary Cantonese-English dictionary


915 results found

meeting room

Definition: A code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers to refer to a smaller kind of conference room for general purpose, such as having a small group meeting, 1 on 1 interview, zoom call, etc. However, it does not mean people should do all sorts of things in it such as chitchatting loudly and having a social party.

Usage: E.g. 呢排轉咗工,但公司係Shared Office。入面大部分都後生仔女。就算唔係坐埋一張枱都聽到佢哋大聲講大聲笑。啲meeting room又唔係多,長期俾人霸哂。到真係俾我book到都仲聽到出面啲聲 (E.g. I changed job recently, but the company is a shared office and most people are young, Even when I was not sitting at their table, I could still hear them talking and laughing out loud. There were also not many meeting rooms, so they were occupied for a long time. And when I booked a room, I could still hear their noise outside.)

Synonym: 會議室

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/4007435/page/1

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

scare die me

Definition: A Kongish code-mixing phrase that working class Hong Kongers use when they are scared and freaked out by something.

Usage: E.g. Scare die me! You are so early in office today?!

Synonym: 嚇死我

Reference: https://graduate.ctgoodjobs.hk/article/20239/2025職場英語-別再說-LIST-OUT-10大常見港式英語錯誤-外國人都聽唔明-4個戒掉港式英語必學的商業用語及常用英式廣東話一覽

written test

Definition: A code-mixing phrase used by working class Hong Kongers to refer to a written test created by companies for job candidates, which can be easy or difficult depending on the situation. Sometimes, it can also be very 'chur' to do due to a company's limited time.

Usage: E.g. 一入到去未擺低袋就俾張紙我做 Written Test,限時 20 分鐘。(When I arrived and before I even put my bag down, they gave me a piece of paper to do a written test, which had a time limit of 20 minutes.)

Synonym: 筆試

Reference: https://www.threads.com/@sangdongizary/post/DZmtCj0mGom?xmt=AQG0EL-oDne_ejxYTHR6FJqyzY8A-PLBBPXB5uoPeZ1QqFbjVadt9K2xVmBMMoskDQMsiRJc&slof=1

common friend

Definition: A code-mixing phrase that native Hong Kongers use to refer to a mutual friend or a friend in common.

Usage: E.g. 佢係我地個common friend黎架。 E.g. 我地唔係好熟,不過有好多common friend。

Synonym: 共同朋友

Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kP2Tu1kqrQc&t=4s

drop dog sh*t

Definition: Derived from '落狗屎‘, this is a Kongish code-mixing term that refers to raining very heavily, which is equivalent of the phrase 'raining cats and dogs' in English.

Usage: E.g. Wa! Right now is really drop dog sh*t ah! (哇!兒家真係落狗屎呀!)

Synonym: 落狗屎

Reference: https://ling-app.com/yue/cantonese-slang-words/

eat soft rice

Definition: Known as Kongish, this is a code-mixing phrase used by native Hong Kongers to refer to a man who relies on his wife or girlfriend to sustain a living.

Usage: E.g. Be a real man and stop eating soft rice!

Synonym: 食軟飯

enough ginger

Definition: Known as Kongish, this is a code-mixing phrase that native Hong Kongers use to refer to having enough guts to do something. (夠薑)

Usage: E.g. If you have enough ginger, then fight me!

Synonym: 夠薑

Reference: https://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/phorum/read.php?3,139574,139575

gay dor cheen

Definition: A romanised Cantonese phrase that westernised Hong Kongers use to ask a shopkeeper how much something costs, which is extremely effective when bargaining for a lower price at wet markets. It can also be shortened to 'gay cheen' (幾錢).

Usage: E.g. Gay dor cheen? (幾多錢?) E.g. Gay cheen? (幾錢?)

Synonym: 幾多錢?

Reference: https://homekong.com.hk/blogs/read/helpful-cantonese-phrases-to-know

mother school

Definition: Derived from '母校', this is a Kongish code-mixing term that refers to a school that a person has graduated from. ie. Alma mater.

Usage: Well I’m a Catholic. I believe in what I have been taught when I was in my mother secondary school, Wah Yan Kowloon.

Synonym: 母校

Reference: https://www.inmediahk.net/node/政經/李家超透露是天主教徒-感謝「mother-secondary-school」教誨

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