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Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

A contemporary Cantonese-English dictionary


10 random words out of 701 results

exactly

Definition: A word used by Hong Kong people to express absolute affirmation, which is comparable to 'Bingo!' Usage: E.g. 係喇,係喇。Exactly! E.g. 岩喇!呢個就係我exactly想講既野。 E.g. 我唔係太get你exactly想講咩。

sai

Definition: Known as Kongish, this is a code-mixing term added to the end of verbs to express the meaning of completely or to a large extent. (晒 - saai3) Usage: E.g. Mm goi sai! (Thank you so much!) 唔該晒 E.g. Dor jeh sai! (Thank you very much!) 多謝晒 E.g. Jo sai! (Done everything!) 做晒 E.g. Sik sai! (Eaten everything!) 食晒 E.g. Mo sai! (No more left!) 冇晒Synonym: 晒Reference: http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/1592/

gag

Definition: Often used as '搞爛gag', this is a code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to refer to a lame joke or broken joke. Usage: E.g. 你唔好成日喺到搞爛gag啦!一D都唔好笑!Reference: https://zh-yue.wikipedia.org/wiki/爛Gag

buffet

Definition: A code-mixing term that only upper class Hong Kongers know how to use to refer to a meal where people serve themselves the food because of the French origin of the word which makes it so hard to pronounce properly. Usage: E.g. A: 放假不如食buffet呀?B: 你指蒲飛?(A: What about eating buffet during holiday? B: You mean po-fei?)Synonym: 蒲飛Reference: https://hk.news.yahoo.com/生日飯-餐廳-推介-推薦-生日餐廳-235652146.html

off

Definition: A more polite way of telling somebody to shut up or '收皮' in Cantonese, which means to pack their things up and leave. (Also see 'collect skin') Usage: E.g. Off啦你,成日咁多野講。E.g. Off啦你,成日搞搞陣冇幫襯。Reference: https://zolimacitymag.com/pop-cantonese-收皮-collect-skin/

Kong girl

Definition: A code-mixing term used by westernised Hong Kongers to refer to a Hong Kong girl with negative characteristics such as being materialistic, demanding, narcissistic, and suffering from 'princess sickness', and so on. The list of negative things can probably go on and on so it is better for the person reading this to search the internet themselves. Usage: E.g. I am sick of my girlfriend! She is a Kong girl! E.g. Can you stop being a Kong girl for a day? I need some freedom. E.g. Kong girl: Will you buy me an LV handbag?Synonym: 港女Reference: https://www.timeout.com/hong-kong/things-to-do/7-signs-to-tell-if-youre-a-real-kong-girl

upload

Definition: A code-mixing term that Hong Kongers often use to refer to uploading files to the internet. ('上載') Usage: E.g. 快D幫我upload張相去IG啦!Synonym: 上載

Saliva man

Definition: A person that talks too much or gossips Usage: Don't be such a saliva man! Please mind your own business. Synonym: 口水佬Reference: https://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/41520/

job hunting

Definition: A code-mixing term that working class Hong Kongers use to refer to the activity of finding a job, which definitely sounds more fun, exciting and challenging than the Cantonese equivalent terms '求職' and '找工作'. Usage: E.g. A: 你搵到工嗎? B: 冇呀,我仲喺到job hunting。Synonym: 求職, 找工作Reference: https://www.reddit.com/r/HongKong/comments/1opsow8/job_hunting_socialising_in_hk/

bonus

Definition: A chic-sounding code-mixing term that refers to year-end bonus (花紅) in Cantonese. Usage: E.g. 你間公司今個年尾有bonus嗎?Reference: https://aclanthology.org/O09-5003.pdf
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