Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

Definition: A romanised Cantonese phrase that westernised Hong Kongers use to ask the waiter to get the bill.

Usage: E.g. Mai daan, mm goi! (埋單, 唔該!)

Synonym: 埋單

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

Definition: Derived from the noun ‘maintenance’, this is a code-mixing verb used to refer to carrying out maintenance work on something in order to keep it running without errors and issues.

Usage: E.g. D code寫簡短啲，main就容易做啲啦。(Write simpler code so you can carry out maintenance more easily.)

Synonym: Maintenance，維護

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/2545265/page/1

Definition: A code-mixing term used by upper class Hong Kongers to refer to the stage of a meal where the main dish is served. As to why ‘course’ is more often used than ‘dish’ compared to the Cantonese phrase ‘主菜‘, it may be to do with the upper class etiquette that the stage of a meal is more important than the dish itself.

Usage: E.g. 食semi-buffet質素好過buffet, 起碼個main course係入得落口 (The quality of eating semi-buffet is higher than buffet, at least the main course is decent.)

Synonym: 主菜

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/3120803/page/3

Definition: A romanised code-mixing term that is used by Fake ABC's in Hong Kong to refer to '米線', which is a type of noodles that is very popular in Hong Kong and China.

Usage: E.g. 港女：Im so broke so I went into a random updup maiseen place eat din alone...

Synonym: 米線

Reference: https://topick.hket.com/article/2254771/wuddud＝核突%E3%80%80港女「流利」港式英語投訴米線店考起網民

Definition: A convenient English phrase used by native Hong Kongers to avoid going into negative detail about someone who does not understand you.

Usage: E.g. 朋友: 喂，你講野好唔make sense喎。你：真的嗎？ E.g. 我覺得你講野make sense，不過我唔係太明。 E.g. 你講野都唔make sense，廢鬼事再聽你講。

Definition: A noun-turned-adjective code-mixing term used to describe someone who is manly.

Usage: E.g. 哇！你今日冇剃鬚好ｍａｎ呀！ E.g. 得閒去吓gｙｍ鍛鍊吓肌肉先至夠mａｎ架嘛。

Definition: A code-mixing term that Hong Kongers like use to refer to marking or jotting things down. (標記）

Usage: E.g. 記住mark低個schedule比我睇吓先。阿媽：老師上堂講既野有冇mark低呀？

Definition: A code-mixing term that native Hong Kongers use to describe something or someone that is very similar to or combines very well with something or someone.

Usage: E.g. 哇，Ｄ顏色好match呀。 E.g. 你地簡直係perfect match呀！

Synonym: 配

Definition: A code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers as a less judgemental way of describing someone as unkind or unfriendly but not to the point of being so harsh and critical.

Usage: E.g. 其實香港人而家可唔可以唔好咁mean? (Can Hong Kong people actually be less mean nowadays?)

Synonym: 刻薄; 衰

Reference: https://www.threads.com/share/_siW0xsDc/

Definition: A code-mixing term that is used when you want to avoid describing someone as being '衰' or not nice.

Usage: E.g. 男仔：喂，我覺得你咁樣講野好衰呀。女朋友：你話我衰？！ E.g. 男仔：喂，我覺得你咁樣講野好mean呀。女朋友：講得岩。我有時講野係mean左D，不過唔至於係衰。