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Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

A contemporary Cantonese-English dictionary


10 random words out of 822 results

friendly

Definition: Sometimes used with a negation particle such as '唔' meaning 'not' in Cantonese, this is a code-mixing term that native Hong Kongers use to describe something as not very kind and pleasant in a less direct and personal way, even though the word is usually used to describe a person. Usage: E.g. 你講得岩。香港揸車唔係咁friendly。(You are right. Driving in Hong Kong isn't very friendly.)Synonym: 友善

Let's say

Definition: A way to avoid sounding too imaginative when you want to suggest things that are impossible to happen. Usage: E.g. Let’s say你有日比人老粒左,你會點呢? E.g. Let’s say你考試肥佬左,你會點面對你家人? E.g. Let's say你比人打獲金,你會唔會還拖?

tgt

Definition: (textspeak) A Kongish code-mixing term that refers to 'together' in English. Usage: E.g. Nei zi chin mai wah seung do new pt, my frd arm arm told me kui find gun ppl, go tgt oj ng oj? (你之前咪話想做新Part Time,我朋友同我講佢搵緊人,一齊去好唔好?)Synonym: togetherReference: 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

jetso

Definition: This is an Englishised term of the Cantonese words '著數', which refers to advantages that one can offer. Usage: E.g. 如果我幫你,你會比我D咩jetso先?Synonym: 著數Reference: https://www.scmp.com/magazines/hk-magazine/article/2038083/what-exactly-jetso

boss

Definition: Often pronounced as '波士', this is a more polite sounding code-mixing term that Hong Kongers often use to refer to '老闆', especially when working in a corporate company. Usage: E.g. 做波士就好啦。我地呢班打工仔一世做奴隸。Reference: https://www.gushiciku.cn/dl/0pydp/zh-hk

appreciate

Definition: A posh way of saying that you admire someone's work or effort, in order to show your high social status or higher education background. Usage: E.g. 我好appreciate你個idea. Well done. E.g. 我好appreciate你做既野。不過,你都唔可以迫我accept你個apology。Synonym: 欣賞

K lunch

Definition: A code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to refer to a meal set offered by a karaoke lounge bar or club. Usage: E.g. 今日去唔去食K lunch呀?一百蚊又可以唱又食,好鬼死抵。(Do you want to have K lunch today? Can sing and eat at the price of just $100, so frigging cheap.)Synonym: 卡啦OK午餐Reference: https://hk.ulifestyle.com.hk/activity/detail/20009510/唱k推介2024丨全港16大卡啦ok好去處-最平-36起-日文k都有-附地址-收費詳情

proper

Definition: A code-mixing term used by overseas educated Hong Kongers to describe people with high standards of social, moral and ethical behaviour which covers everything from the way they look, dress, and talk. Usage: E.g. 我覺得呢個行業既人都係好proper。(I think everybody in this industry are so proper.)Synonym: 規矩, 正當, 得體Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/4012349/page/1

check

Definition: (verb) A more suitable term for the Cantonese equivalent word '檢查', which sounds too formal and serious, like doing a body check. Usage: E.g. 同我check吓份文件好嗎?Synonym: 檢查Reference: https://holiday.presslogic.com/article/224449/港式-廣東話-中英夾雜-口語-香港人-搭lift-食lunch

sorry

Definition: A more effortless way of apologising to someone without sounding so formal and serious. Sometimes, it is pronounced as 'sor-li'. Usage: E.g. Sorry呀,踩親你。 E.g. Sorry呀,我遲到左。 E.g.你:對唔住!係我抵死,係我唔岩!朋友:唔洗咁隆重。你:SORRY囉。Synonym: 對唔住Reference: https://www.academia.edu/8666953/Common_usage_of_code-mixing_among_trilingual_Hong_Kongers
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