Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

Definition: With a literal meaning of pig‘s intestines, this is a code-mixing term used by westernised Hong Kongers to refer to someone who is lazy and has no progress in life. It originates from the swear word '撚樣‘ and is used as a euphemism for calling someone a dick face.

Usage: E.g. Ditch me again?! This guy is such a fun cheung! (又放我飛機？呢條友仔正粉腸!)

Synonym: 粉腸

Reference: https://jyutdictionary.com/dictionary/entry/粉腸

Definition: A code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers as a less explicit way of referring to the period of time a person has not worked especially to employers because it tends to sound small and tiny like a door gap.

Usage: E.g. 如果兩個都差唔多，先揀冇gap個個，因為有gap個個驚佢太自由奔放走左去 (If both candidates are almost the same, I'll choose the one without a gap first, because I'm afraid the one with a gap will leave the company quickly like he has too much freedom.)

Synonym: 間隔；空窗期

Reference: https://www.threads.com/@cyanxxlhtc/post/Da7JddCiceG?xmt=AQG0pf5Hjp1xNodTdIwPcyj9CcvjTMv8N8ttW-V49aFNFN6yNnqItPIk82SCv611OJ_rOpqS&slof=1

Definition: A code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to refer people coming together. Even though the term can be used both formally and informally in English, it can actually be more personal and intimate than '聚會' in Cantonese.

Usage: E.g. 女友稱約朋友去酒店Gathering 男友事後問起她卻支吾以對 (Girlfriend said she was going to a hotel with friends for a gathering, but when her boyfriend asked her about it later, she gave evasive answers.)

Synonym: 聚會

Reference: https://www.gotrip.hk/網絡熱話/女友稱約朋友去酒店gathering疑似出軌-637892/

Definition: (textspeak) A Kongish code-mixing term meaning homework, which only Hong Kong local students can understand.

Usage: E.g. Jo jor gong for mei ar? (做左功課未呀？） E.g. Nei mong gong for meh? (你忙功課咩？） E.g. Jo sai d gong for la! (做晒D功課喇！）

Synonym: 功課

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

Definition: A code-mixing term used by grassroots class Hong Kongers to refer to how thoroughly cooked a steak is, which is equivalent to ‘well done’ in native English.

Usage: E.g. 個鬼佬轉另轉頭問我: whatxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx? 我好自豪 充滿自信 大大聲答: GOOD JOB!! 個鬼佬就呆哂 唔明我無啦啦做乜講GOOD JOB咁 女友見到 即刻幫我答:WELL DONE (The western waiter then asked me: whatxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx? I was proud and confident and answered loudly: GOOD JOB! The western waiter was speechless and didn't understand why I said good job. When my girlfriend saw this, she immediately helped me answer: WELL DONE)

Synonym: 全熟

Reference: https://amp.lihkg.com/thread/561255/page/1

Definition: A code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers to refer more specifically to the legal promises made by a company, especially in a contract or agreement.

Usage: E.g. bonus guarantee 有3個月？有d 公司好仆街係咪都話生意唔好減咁d 架wor (Is it guaranteed to have 3 months of bonus? Some companies are really an epic fail and say their business is not doing good then lower your salary.)

Synonym: 保證

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/2863234/page/3

Definition: A code-mixing term that westernised Hong Kongers like to use to refer to the sport of walking long distances on mountains because they have gotten so used to it and see it as a hobby rather than something laborious like '行山', which literally translates to 'walk mountain'.

Usage: E.g. 今個weekend去唔去hiking呀? 不如今次行遠D呀? (Do you want to go hiking this weekend? What about going on a longer trail?)

Synonym: 行山

Reference: https://letsgohiking.blog/

Definition: A romanised code-mixing term used by westernised Hong Kongers to refer to a top student who scores high marks in school.

Usage: E.g. You got straight A's for your exams? You must be a hok ba!

Synonym: 學霸

Reference: https://www.youngpostclub.com/yp/discover/lifestyle/article/3147729/sup-sup-sui-start-new-school-year-these-cantonese-slang

Definition: A code-mixing phrase used by the K-pop singer Jackson Wang (王嘉爾) when he has nothing to say. Even though he was born in Hong Kong, it is often said that he has real American Born Chinese vibe, due to his strong knowledge of English filler terms while speaking in Cantonese.

Usage: E.g. 我從運動員到練習生到出道，去海外，我自己覺得我係捱到既。但係有時呢D咁既野真係hit到我，我真係...i don't know. (From being an athlete to a trainee to debut then overseas, I always thought I could endure. But when there were things that hit me sometimes, I really just... I don't know.)

Synonym: 我唔知

Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7-73ZG8G2s

Definition: A code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers to refer to the formal document sent by a seller to a buyer as a request for payment, which is be differentiated from a receipt.

Usage: E.g. 你俾完錢收到嘅果張係叫收據，係receipt，但啲大陸人係統一叫發票。(What you receive after payment should be called a receipt, but mainland Chinese people also refer to it as an invoice.)

Synonym: 發票; 請款單

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/2808375/page/1