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Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

A contemporary Cantonese-English dictionary


10 random words out of 917 results

Cafe Pacific

Definition: A code-mixing term used by Hong Kong aunties to refer to the Cathay Pacific airlines. However, it may have nothing to do with Cathay being a cafe.

Usage: E.g. A: 你搭咩航空? B: Cafe Pacific囉。

Synonym: 國泰

Reference: https://www.instagram.com/p/DRCavrZCNbZ/?igsh=MTNmNHJmNGtmOG4xZw== (use mobile version)

fashion sense

Definition: A code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to refer to having an instinct for what is stylish, which they believe can be developed through nurture.

Usage: E.g. 培養fashion sense前 買衫望多啲款襯下色 除左黑色,唔好由頭到腳都同一隻色 仲要諗下有咩鞋襯到衫 手袋都要襯 (To nurture fashion sense, have a look at more styles and matching colours when buying clothes. Do not choose the same color from head to toe except black. Also think about what shoes match the outfit. Handbags must also match.)

Synonym: 時尚感

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/2725538/page/1

cheap

Definition: (adj.) A euphemistic way of saying 'cheap' in Cantonese.

Usage: E.g. 喂,你唔洗咁cheap嘛? E.g. 你正cheap精黎架! E.g. Cheap到咁樣,我真係第一次見。

Synonym: 低俗

document

Definition: A code-mixing term that is often used to refer to a computer document (文件).

Usage: E.g. 唔該你send份document過黎呀。記住要pdf喎。

Synonym: 文件

Reference: https://www.esquirehk.com/mens-talk/simon-shen-hong-kong-english-chinese

ho dor

Definition: (textspeak) Transliterated from ‘好多’ meaning ‘a lot’ or ‘many’, this is a Kongish code-mixing term used by local student Hong Kongers to complain about the excess of homework.

Usage: E.g. Ho dor gong for ah! (好多功課呀!)

Synonym: 好多

Reference: https://hklanguage.home.blog/2019/11/16/the-use-of-transliteration-in-kongish/

take

Definition: A code-mixing term used by upper class Hong Konger girls to refer to having the strength or resilience to handle something emotionally, as in "I can take it", which they can sometimes do to a certain extent.

Usage: E.g. 出到嚟網上有咁多言論一路話我,我就覺得算啦,我係做呢行,我take(接受)咗佢啦,唔緊要啦。但take下take下,都take咗年幾兩年 (When I started working in this industry, there were so many discussions on the Internet talking about me, I thought it was okay because I knew I was in this industry, so I took it, it doesn't matter. But as I kept taking this and taking that, I realised that I had already been taking things in for a few years)

Synonym: 承受; 承受壓力

Reference: https://www.hk01.com/即時娛樂/60359289/jw王灝兒分手後啞忍兩年-眼濕濕平反拜金論-我仲使乜入tvb拍劇?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=01appshare

pork chop

Definition: Known as Kongish, this is a code-mixing phrase that native Hong Kongers use to describe a fat or ugly woman. (豬扒)

Usage: E.g. I think this girl is such a pork chop! I have no interest in her at all! (豬扒)

Synonym: 豬扒

Reference: https://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/16131/

madam

Definition: The Hong Kong way of referring to a female police officer (女警官).

Usage: E.g. 女警:Target出現。全世界出動!下屬:Yes, Madam!

Synonym: 女警官

Reference: https://www.gushiciku.cn/dl/0pydp/zh-hk

Definition: Known as Kongish, this is a code-mixing phrase used by native Hong Kongers to describe a situation where there is a scene or fight going on between people, and you are just excited to watch what will happen as a bystander. '食住花生等睇戲' can be shortened to '食花生' sometimes.

Usage: E.g. I have never seen people argue like this over Whatsapp! Let's eat peanuts while waiting to watch a film!

Synonym: 食住花生等睇戲

Reference: https://www.localiiz.com/post/culture-local-stories-popular-cantonese-idioms

file

Definition: Often pronounced as 'fi-lo' with a rising tone on the second syllable, this is a code-mixing term that is more generic to be used for a number of different items in Cantonese.

Usage: E.g. 唔該copy呢個file比我。(電腦檔案) E.g. 買多個file儲住D紀錄。(文件夾) E.g. 警察:我哋會睇返呢單case既file。(檔案)

Synonym: 文件夾; 檔案

Reference: https://aclanthology.org/O09-5003.pdf

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