Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

Definition: A code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers as a more technical and corporate way of referring to the number of employees in a company because '人數' sounds too everyday in Cantonese like when getting enough people to play Mahjong together.

Usage: E.g. 大家公司最近咩環境 有冇freeze headcount? (How is everybody's company doing recently? Any company is freezing headcount?)

Synonym: 人數

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/3674159/page/1

Definition: Also written as '啹' in Cantonese, this is a code-mixing term that refers to the feeling of accepting somebody who is an adversary.

Usage: E.g. 佢上次嬴我令到我好唔gur，不過今次我嬴返佢我就gur哂。

Synonym: 啹

Reference: https://words.hk/zidin/v/啹

Definition: This is an lot more linguistically efficient way of saying the Cantonese equivalent '打電話', which has 3 long syllables.

Usage: E.g. 可以兒家call你嗎？ E.g. 我尋日call爆你機都唔聽。你去左邊呀？

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

Definition: A code-mixing term used by Miss Hong Kong celebrity Grace Chan to refer to an "unknown liquid" that was splashed on her son’s head by a woman while watching a Spiderman movie in a cinema.

Usage: E.g. 陳凱琳指兒子被淋Cream受驚已報警：而據悉在觀眾散場時，該名女子疑因不滿而突然發難，涉嫌直接向陳凱琳兒子的頭部潑淋不明乳狀液體，隨後迅速離開現場。愛子心切的陳凱琳在諮詢後，已於翌日前往中區警署報案 (Grace Chan reported to the police after her son was splashed by cream: It is reported that as the audience was leaving, a woman apparently dissatisfied suddenly lashed out, allegedly pouring an unknown liquid directly on the head of Grace Chan’s son before quickly fleeing. Deeply concerned for her son, Grace Chan sought advice and filed a police report at Central Police Station the next day.)

Synonym: 忌廉

Reference: https://www.stheadline.com/film-drama/3600942/陳凱琳回應影院風波-證二仔被淋Cream已報警好心痛-兒子疑踢凳惹女觀眾發難

Definition: A code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers as a milder way of calling someone a newbie or referring to someone who is new or inexperienced at something.

Usage: E.g. 上次份banking工有feedback話我太green，想問我有無興趣去compliance到做。(There was feedback from my last banking job saying that I was too green, and they asked me whether I had an interest to work in compliance.)

Synonym: 新手; 缺乏經驗

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/3981656/page/39

Definition: Short for 'job description', this is a code-mixing term that Hong Kong HR departments like to use to refer to the piece of text that describes the job nature and responsibilities of a position in a company, which may be long or short depending on how much they want an applicant to know about the job.

Usage: E.g. 又話會send份JD比我睇？你send左去邊度？(I thought you were going to send me the JD to have a look? Where did you send it to?)

Synonym: 工作內容

Reference: https://english.cool/job-description/

Definition: A code-mixing term that upper class Hong Kongers love to use to refer to ‘下午茶’, which is afternoon tea.

Usage: E.g. 今日下晝有冇時間high tea呀？ E.g. High唔high tea呀你？ (下午茶）

Synonym: 下午茶

Definition: (verb) A code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers when they ask whether one has enough money for expense rather than having sufficient money itself.

Usage: E.g. 今個月cov唔cover到租金? (Can you cover the rent this month?)

Synonym: 足夠支付

Reference: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/zht/詞典/英語-漢語-繁體/cover

Definition: A code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to refer to taking pleasure from doing something. Sometimes, it can also be used intransitively as a verb to describe a state of mind where one is having a good time.

Usage: E.g. 每次暴雨或者打風，唔知點解我都好enjoy。(Whenever there is heavy rain or typhoon, I don't know why I really enjoy it.)

Synonym: 享受

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/3973322/page/1

Definition: Purportedly to have derived from a lazy accent, this is code-mixing term used by Hong Kong local students to refer to the famous Korean boy band Big Bang.

Usage: E.g. 我上個禮拜先去完London呀，睇呢個Big Ben呀。現場睇好震撼架。Bang bang bang呀。你知唔知一票難求呀，唔係個個都有得睇架。(E.g. I just went to London last week to see Big Bang. The live performance was so thrilling. Bang bang bang ah. Do you know that it was so hard to get a ticket? Not everyone can watch it.)

Synonym: Big Bang

Reference: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DctSl4XSlAx/?igsi=MTYwam84MTNjb3FieA== (use mobile version)