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Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

A contemporary Cantonese-English dictionary


10 random words out of 917 results

exactly

Definition: A word used by Hong Kong people to express absolute affirmation, which is comparable to 'Bingo!'

Usage: E.g. 係喇,係喇。Exactly! E.g. 岩喇!呢個就係我exactly想講既野。 E.g. 我唔係太get你exactly想講咩。

credit

Definition: A code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to refer to the recognition and praise given to someone for something that they did, which is more appropriate to use for small bits of work.

Usage: E.g. A: 佢食一啖話好難食,我嬲嬲地成個蛋掉撚咗。個時我中二,不過我而家自己開鋪賣蛋糕。B: 可能就係咁造就你而家做得咁出色 A:又要比返credit佢?我意思係人哋點踩你都好(even最親嘅人)(E.g. A: He took a bite and said it tasted bad. Then I threw away the whole cake angrily. I was in secondary two at that time. However, I now run my own shop selling cakes. B: Maybe that's why you're so successful now. A: And I have to give him credit? I mean it doesn’t matter how people step on you (even your closest ones).)

Synonym: 功勞

Reference: https://www.threads.com/@yuikok0709/post/DQ5esI-EgkE/又要比返credit-佢我意思係人哋點踩你都好even最親嘅人最緊要自己相信自己冇人比你自己更清楚自己?hl=zh-hk

fun

Definition: Often used as a bilingual pun that rhymes with '分' meaning 'points' or 'share' in Cantonese, this is a code-mixing term that working class Hong Kongers use in advertising to attract people to attend an event for the sake of having fun and earning points together.

Usage: E.g. 100FUN樂滿紛 |6週年齊FUN享 (100 Fun-Filled Fun | Let's Share Our 6th Anniversary Celebration)

Synonym: 分; 樂趣

Reference: https://www.kkday.com/zh-hk/product/270767?srsltid=AfmBOoozOC0SsPhQP61ffB7h06phXofqw0cf1SPQbf-CHhWuSNHZs5Co

zero chicken egg

Definition: A Kongish code-mixing term that local Hong Kong students use to emphasize the zero mark they got in a test or exam, which they like to honour themselves with because not only a chicken egg has the shape of the zero number, but also it has become a friendly treat that they are used to eating all the time.

Usage: E.g. Oh no! I got a zero chicken egg in my exam again!

Synonym: 零雞蛋

Reference: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/零雞蛋

the show must go on

Definition: Became known by the TVB episode 'The Queen of News', this is a code-mixing phrase said by working class Hong Kongers to encourage people to continue doing what they have set out to do, even if it means taking risks and receiving consequences.

Usage: E.g. 冇人敢報等我嚟吖!萬一touchwood報錯咪賴落我度咯,I have nothing to lose。我宗旨好簡單,the show must go on。(If no one dares to report this, then I'll do it! If the news turn out to be wrong, then blame it on me, touchwood. I have nothing to lose. My goal is very simple, the show must go on.)

Synonym: 表演必須繼續

Reference: https://hk.ulifestyle.com.hk/topic/detail/20021530/新聞女王-高海寧重現主播喊住報死訊新聞一幕-雙眼通紅淚珠滑落與現實如出一轍/1

jor

Definition: (textspeak) A Kongish code-mixing term transliterated from ‘咗’, which is equivalent to the ‘-ed’ particle for past tense in English.

Usage: E.g. Jo jor gong for mei ar? (做咗功課未呀?) E.g. Sik jor farn mei ar? (食咗飯未呀?)

Synonym: 咗

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

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)

challenge

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

open-minded

Definition: A code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to describe being receptive to new ideas but not to the point of so expansive by opening boundaries.

Usage: E.g. 我係一個open-minded既人,但係唔代表我內裡open。(I am an open-minded person, but that doesn't mean I am open on the inside. XD)

Synonym: 思想開放; 開明

Reference: https://hinative.com/questions/26265836

work from home

Definition: A code-mixing term that is often used by Hong Kongers instead of '在家工作'.

Usage: E.g. 我今日真係爽呀,可以work from home。成日煲netflix都得啦!

Synonym: 在家工作

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