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Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

A contemporary Cantonese-English dictionary


10 random words out of 917 results

catch up

Definition: A code-mixing term used by Hong Kongers to refer to talking to someone in order to know what they have been doing.

Usage: E.g. 我地幾時會再catch up吓?好耐冇見喇。

Synonym: 趕上進度

Big Ben

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)

shoe polisher

Definition: An Englishised code-mixing term used by westernised Hong Kongers to refer to a person who likes to say nice things to flatter someone, especially for the sake of promotion in a workplace. Also known as kissing someone's arse.

Usage: E.g. You're such a shoe polisher!

Synonym: 擦鞋仔

Reference: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DcsWOeRgxlW/?igsi=MzhpcGs0NzZ2b3h0 (use mobile version)

sup yeet

Definition: A romanised code-mixing term used by westernised Hong Kongers to refer to the humid or wet kind of hot in the summer.

Usage: E.g. Sup yeet is like Hong Kong in the summer. Very hot and sticky.

Synonym: 濕熱

Reference: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DczhNdazB8t/?igsi=NnVxejdyYWthMXVi (use mobile version)

chow mein

Definition: A romanised code-mixing term used by Hong Kongers to refer to a type of fried noodles with soy sauce flavour that people like to eat every day because it is so easy to make and adaptable to different ingredients and tastes.

Usage: E.g. Would you like chow mein with ham, beef, or chicken? Want to add some sesame, sweet and spicy sauce?

Synonym: 炒麵

Reference: https://amp.lihkg.com/thread/4150389/page/1

cam

Definition: A code-mixing term that Hong Kongers use to describe a person with a feminised voice.

Usage: E.g. 我覺得呢個男人cam cam哋。唔知真係男人定係女人呢?

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

promotion

Definition: A code-mixing term that Hong Kong salesman love to use as a strategy to advertise their products without sounding like they're doing it for the sake of spreading the word or selling their product.

Usage: E.g. 我地公司兒家做緊promotion。你唔買就走寶喇喂。(Our company is now doing promotion. If you don't buy, you'll miss out.)

Synonym: 宣傳,推廣

Reference: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340689372_Code-Mixing_as_a_Promotion_Strategy_in_Shopping_Centres

outstanding

Definition: A code-mixing term that working class Hong Kongers like to use to describe something that is not yet done or paid.

Usage: E.g. 依家仲有咩case係outstanding?

Synonym: 未解決

1999

Definition: Derived from '一舊舊' meaning 'in lumps', this is a code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers to refer to someone talking in an unclear, broken manner. Sometimes, it can also refer to work being done in a sloppy way.

Usage: E.g. 最後功能就係開會叫晒啲落手做既同business owner黎自己傾,自己就成個文員咁係側邊mark notes,有啲廢pm就連呢part都做到1999要人事後叫佢改 (E.g. The last useful thing they would do is to hold a meeting that lets the workers and business owners to talk to each other, and the project manager would just be like a clerk marking notes at the side. Some crappy project managers would even do this part in a very sloppy way that people needed to tell them to revise it afterwards.)

Synonym: 一舊舊

Reference: https://www.timeout.com/hong-kong/things-to-do/cantonese-internet-and-texting-slang-to-use-right-now

cute

Definition: Often pronounced as 'Q' or used as 'Q-tee', this is a code-mixing term that is used by Hong Kongers instead of '可愛' in Cantonese.

Usage: E.g. 哇,個公仔好Q呀! E.g. 港女:你睇吓我今日著得Q唔Q-tee呀?

Synonym: 可愛

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

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