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Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

A contemporary Cantonese-English dictionary


813 results found

positive

Definition: A code-mixing term that Hong Kong HR departments like to use when they report back to candidates on their interview result, which is more objective than the Cantonese equivalent that contains the phrase ‘評價‘, which tends to give people the feeling of being evaluated or judged. Usage: E.g. 今日收到消息話你既面試表現都係positive架。(I received news today saying that your interview result was positive.)Synonym: 正面評價Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/2492328/page/36

It's even worse

Definition: A code-mixing phrase used by overseas educated Hong Kongers to describe something as more inferior in quality than another without saying it's of bad quality. Usage: E.g. 我去過呢間bar。It's even worse!Synonym: 更加差Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/3047481/page/1

Out c

Definition: A code-mixing term that refers to ‘out of syllabus’, which is used by local school students in Hong Kong. Usage: Past paper條題目out c左。Synonym: 非考試範圍

clubbing

Definition: A code-mixing term used by westernised Hong Kongers to refer to going to bars and clubs because they find the Cantonese equivalent terms a lot more suitable for a mature audience. Usage: E.g. A: 去唔去clubbing呀?B: 你指係邊啲?A: 緊唔係夜總會啦!(A: Do you want to go clubbing? B: Which type are you referring to? A: Of course not nightclubs!)Synonym: 夜店,夜總會Reference: https://jyutdictionary.com/dictionary/entry/夜總會

skip

Definition: This is a code-mixing term that Hong Kongers like to use instead of '跳過'. Usage: E.g. 條題目好難。skip左先啦。Synonym: 跳過Reference: https://www.gotrip.hk/生活/中英夾雜-港式廣東話-gt12-772959/

dead air

Definition: This is a code-mixing term that Hong Kongers like to use instead of '冷場' (laang5 ceong4), which literally translates to 'cold scene'. Usage: E.g. 考口試最緊要唔好dead air。Synonym: 冷場Reference: https://www.gotrip.hk/生活/中英夾雜-港式廣東話-gt12-772959/

function

Definition: This is a code-mixing term that Hong Kongers like to refer to a social event. Usage: E.g. 最近公司有咩function要搞?Reference: https://www.gotrip.hk/生活/中英夾雜-港式廣東話-gt12-772959/

report

Definition: This is a code-mixing term that Hong Kongers love to use to refer to '報告'. Usage: E.g. 份report幾時搞掂呀?Synonym: 報告Reference: https://www.gotrip.hk/生活/中英夾雜-港式廣東話-gt12-772959/

dead

Definition: (verb) This is a code-mixing term that Hong Kongers use to refer to a deadline for task. Usage: E.g. 同事:份report幾時dead呀? 上司:今日dead左喇!仲喺到問!Reference: https://www.gotrip.hk/生活/中英夾雜-港式廣東話-gt12-772959/

printer

Definition: Often pronounced without the 'r' sounds and with a rising tone on the second syllable, this is an a lot more linguistically efficient way of referring to printer (打印機)in Cantonese. Usage: E.g. 內地人:個打印機喺邊呀? 香港人:咩話?三個字咁累贅。叫返printer啦唔該。Synonym: 打印機Reference: http://www.patrickchu.net/uploads/9/0/5/3/9053324/2007_free_ppt.pdf
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