Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

Definition: A fashionable code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to refer to a meal served at noontime where they can be more casual, carefree and relaxed than in an environment created by the Cantonese equivalent ’午餐‘.

Usage: E.g. 你仲做野？快啲食lunch先啦！(You are still working? Let’s eat lunch first!)

Synonym: 午餐

Reference: https://www.ilc.cuhk.edu.hk/workshop/Chinese/Cantonese/CantoneseExpress/characteristics/p2.aspx

Definition: A shortened code-mixing term that Hong Kongers use to refer to the word 'register', such as registering for an account in an app to become a member.

Usage: E.g. 快D download個app再reg個account成為會員啦！

Synonym: 申請

Definition: A code-mixing term that Hong Kongers often use to refer to tasks that have not been planned and must be done at the time as they were assigned.

Usage: E.g. 今日公司唔係好忙，不過有好多adhoc野做。

Synonym: 臨時工作

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

Definition: (noun) A code-mixing term that Hong Kongers say in order to avoid bad luck, which is similar to '大吉利是' in Cantonese.

Usage: E.g. Touchwood講句，如果件貨聽日唔準時到，請問要等到幾時呢？

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/733616/page/1

Definition: A code-mixing term used by westernised Hong Kongers to refer to steamed rice noodle rolls, which is a popular snack at street food vendors. However, this is not to be confused with ‘fun cheung’, which means ‘dick face’ in English.

Usage: E.g. Let‘s eat some fun cheung at a Chinese restaurant! Sorry, I mean cheung fun!

Synonym: 腸粉

Reference: https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3318414/what-cheung-fun-different-types-chinese-rice-noodle-rolls-and-how-make-them

Definition: A code-mixing term used by local Hong Kong students to describe something or someone being reliable, awesome or decent.

Usage: E.g. 呢間canteen好firm。(This canteen is reliable and decent.) E.g. A: 你今次成績點呀？B: 超Firm呀，一定勁高分！(A: How is your exam result? B: Super awesome, certainly very high marks!)

Synonym: 掂, 穩陣

Reference: https://www.elle.com.hk/life/popular-slangs

Definition: A code-mixing term used by overseas educated Hong Kongers when they want to avoid describing a problem as complicated because they have the intelligence to solve it. At other times, there is just not a word that covers all the meanings of intelligent, complicated and even elegant sometimes.

Usage: E.g. 呢個問題唔係復雜，只係太過sophisticated。如果你識將個問題分拆，你就會解答得到。 (This problem is not complicated, but just too sophisticated. If you know how to break down the problem, you will be able to solve it.)

Synonym: 複習

Reference: https://www.facebook.com/okiokifamily/posts/有人在影片留言反映-為什麼我們有時會中英夾雜-我們一早有注意到這個問題問所以上字幕的時候全部改成為中文只有極少數情況例外例如英文字-sophisticated-/1187675216048224/

Definition: Known as Kongish, this is a code-mixing phrase that native Hong Kongers use to refer to having enough guts to do something. (夠薑)

Usage: E.g. If you have enough ginger, then fight me!

Synonym: 夠薑

Reference: https://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/phorum/read.php?3,139574,139575

Definition: (textspeak) Transliterated from '無啦啦', this is a Kongish code-mixing term that is used as an adverb to describe something that happened suddenly and unexpectedly.

Usage: E.g. Kui mo la la da ngo! Chi jor sin! (佢無啦啦打我！痴左線！)

Synonym: 無啦啦