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Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

A contemporary Cantonese-English dictionary


10 random words out of 917 results

say thank you

Definition: A code-mixing phrase that a Jayden Mami likes to repeatedly use to order their children to show gratitude to someone.

Usage: E.g. Katherine, 人地比野你, 你要講 thank you, 你要say thank you, 快D say thank you. (Katherine, when people give you something, you need to say thank you, you have to say thank you. Say thank you quickly!)

Synonym: 講多謝

Reference: https://www.instagram.com/p/DVAkhPqj83Z/ (use mobile version)

wun gut

Definition: Derived from 'gut' (吉) meaning nothingness or tangerines, this is a romanised code-mixing slang phrase used to describe someone is messing about and wasting time, which purportedly comes from people in the past going into Hong Kong stores just to drink the bowl of soup called 'gut' soup (吉湯) without spending money on the food at all. 'wun' can mean to mix (混) or to transport (運).

Usage: Auntie: Stop tasting my fruits here and there! Are you wun gut?

Synonym: 運吉, 混吉

Reference: https://www.timeout.com/hong-kong/things-to-do/cantonese-slang-you-need-to-know-right-now

timing

Definition: Pronounced with a rising intonation on the second syllable, this is a code-mixing term that native Hong Kongers use to refer to doing something at exactly the right time, such as a love relationship.

Usage: E.g. 其實愛情都幾講timing。有時要搵啱個timing先可以喺埋一齊。

Synonym: 時機

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/60469/page/1

swap

Definition: A code-mixing term that overseas educated Hong Kongers use in place of the Cantonese equivalent '交換'.

Usage: E.g. A:我地swap一個球員好唔好?B:好呀,我同你swap啦。

Synonym: 交換

apply

Definition: A code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers to refer to more efficient and sometimes less official way of making a request for a job.

Usage: E.g. Jobsdb見到好多agent公司幫公司請人,一apply班agent就打來phone call,唔理你是唔是工作時間都打來,即刻問長問短... 不如直接同公司apply. (On JobsDB, you see a lot of recruitment agencies hiring for companies; the moment you apply, the agents call you—often without caring whether it’s during office hours—and immediately they start grilling you with questions... You're better off applying directly to the company.)

Synonym: 申請

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/3975336/page/1

down

Definition: A code-mixing term that working class Hong Kongers use to refer to computer that has become unavailable, possibly due to a crash.  Sometimes, it is used as the shortened version of 'download'.

Usage: E.g. 大獲喇!公司server down機呀!快D搵人整呀!(當機) E.g. Down完個file未呀?咁耐既?(下載)

Synonym: 當機; 下載

Reference: https://www.studocu.com/hk/document/city-university-of-hong-kong/world-englishes/lecture-3-city-university-of-hong-kongen5714-world-englishes-and-the-social-context-of/20063922

counter

Definition: Pronounced as 'kaahn-taah' with a long back vowel and rising intonation, this is a code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers to refer to a cashier's counter, information desk or service counter.

Usage: E.g. 小弟係個賣game仔,話說我今日放飯果陣緊係出去食飯啦,咁個counter緊係冇人啦 (I'm a game seller, and of course I went out to have lunch during my lunch break today, so there was no one looking after the counter.)

Synonym: 收銀處; 客戶服務中心; 櫃檯

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/740067/page/1

ho dor

Definition: (textspeak) Transliterated from ‘好多’ meaning ‘a lot’ or ‘many’, this is a Kongish code-mixing term used by local student Hong Kongers to complain about the excess of homework.

Usage: E.g. Ho dor gong for ah! (好多功課呀!)

Synonym: 好多

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

à la carte

Definition: Originated from French, this is a code-mixing term used by upper class Hong Kongers to refer to ordering single dishes individually.

Usage: E.g. 如果你唔鍾意叫set dinner,你可以叫 à la carte。(If you don't like to order the set dinner, you can order single dishes.)

Synonym: 單點; 散嗌; 散叫

Reference: http://paper.wenweipo.com/2011/12/21/ED1112210026.htm

chop

Definition: A code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers to refer to a company stamp. (公司蓋章)

Usage: E.g. 可唔可以借個chop黎用吓?

Synonym: 公司蓋章

Reference: https://paper.hket.com/article/190909/行政人員英語詞窮%20見客口啞

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