Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

Definition: A code-mixing term that is often used by people in the IT sector to refer to a computer bug (漏洞).

Usage: E.g. 唔係掛？今次個program有咁多bug？！

Synonym: 漏洞

Definition: A code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to refer to a restaurant located inside a school or company. However, it is worth noting that the origin of the word is from Europe and should not to be confused with ‘can-ting’ or ‘can-teng’ in Mandarin or Cantonese (餐廳), which start with the ‘ts’ sound instead of ‘k’ sound in ‘can’.

Usage: E.g. 今日好多人呀！快啲落canteen霸位啦！(There are so many people today! Let's go to the canteen to hog the seats first!)

Synonym: 飯堂; 食堂 ; 餐廳

Reference: https://www.instagram.com/p/DSKkZbOEqPJ/ (use mobile version)

Definition: A code-mixing term that is often misused by Fake ABC’s to mean 'jot down'.

Usage: E.g. 老師，唔該等一等。我要ｄｒｏｐ　ｄｏｗｎ埋Ｄ　ｎｏｔｅｓ先擦黑板。

Reference: https://www.hk01.com/開罐/128449/你是否-偽abc-chill-中文意思係咩-10個港人常用錯英文字

Definition: It is a slang used in casual, humorous contexts to describe the buttocks, often linked to the roundness of the full moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Usage: My first skateboard experience is i fell on my august 15th as soon as I stood on the board!

Synonym: 八月十五

Reference: https://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/32249/

Definition: A code-mixing term used by westernised Hong Kongers when they want to describe a girl with flat chest but don't want to get slapped.

Usage: E.g. A: Do you like this girl? B: No, I think she is an airport!

Synonym: 飛機場

Reference: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DSZDmyBASgl/?igsh=MXVsbzJhZTFoYnRudw== (use mobile version)

Definition: A code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to refer to having enough money to buy something without indicating one's ability to cope with such burden.

Usage: E.g. 點解要鍾意自己 afford 唔起嘅 luxury? (Why love luxury that you can't afford?)

Synonym: 負擔得起; 買得起

Reference: https://www.instagram.com/p/DP3vop4Epm7/ (use mobile version)

Definition: A code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to refer to a game where a player hits a plastic ball with holes in it using a small racquette, which usually appeals more to females who find playing tennis too difficult.

Usage: E.g. 早幾年啲女興行山（有對腳就行得）、做GYM（有手有腳就可以鳩做＋打卡）。之後就開始Tennis，但門檻較高，同埋太多女學極都係咁廢，三分鐘熱度就收皮。而家就開始pickle ball，因為夠易玩 (In the past few years, girls were interested in hiking (you can walk if you have feet) and doing gym (you can do it if you have hands and feet + take pictures). Then they started playing tennis, but the learning curve is higher, and too many were extremely useless even when they kept learning, or they just gave up after 3 minutes. Now they started playing pickleball because it's easy enough to play.)

Synonym: 匹克球

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/3987075/page/1

Definition: An alternative way of referring to someone who's getting on your nerves, as the equivalent term '挑戰' in Cantonese sounds too much like a real duel or battle and hence too provocative to use.

Usage: E.g. 老闆：夠喇。你唔好係到挑戰我。你:我幾時有挑戰過你呀？！ E.g. 老闆：夠喇。你唔好係到challenge我。你:*silence*

Synonym: 挑戰

Definition: 1. (adj) A code-mixing term that Hong Kongers use to describe a person being clever or quick to notice things. Sometimes, it is used as 'sharp醒'. 2. (adj) Used to describe someone's appearance as being too eye-catching.

Usage: E.g. 哇，乜今日咁sharp醒呀？咁快做哂D野？ E.g. 呢件衫Ｄ顏色太sharp喇。

Reference: http://www.cmi.hku.hk/Ref/Article/article02/01.html

Definition: (textspeak) A Kongish code-mixing term derived from '小心', meaning becareful.

Usage: E.g. This prof real is killer, u better siu sum.

Synonym: 小心

Reference: https://www.hk01.com/開罐/283411/大學生打字用火星文-10句港式英文拼音大挑戰-測試你識幾多