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Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

A contemporary Cantonese-English dictionary


10 random words out of 917 results

fit

Definition: Often pronounced with a long vowel 'feet', this is a code-mixing term that is more appropriate to use when describing someone in good shape.

Usage: E.g. 男仔:哇,你身材幾好喎。女仔:咸濕仔! E.g. 男仔:哇,你身材好標準喎。女仔:死咸濕仔! E.g. 男仔:哇,你好fit喎。女仔:多謝。

toilet

Definition: A euphemistic code-mixing term that refers to the same item ‘廁所’ in Cantonese.

Usage: E.g. 老師,唔該可唔可以去toilet呀? E.g. 咁多位,我去一去toilet先。

Reference: https://sites.google.com/site/hongkonglinguistics/Downhome/language-contact-in-hong-kong/cantonese-englishintra-sententialcode-switchinginhongkong

cleansing foam

Definition: Pronounced as 'cleansing form', this is a code-mixing term used by celebrity Janice Man to refer to the facial treatment item 'cleansing foam'.

Usage: E.g. 我通常眼同埋嘴就用左油既,即係remover,oil remover去落左先,跟住就會全面再用呢一個cleansing water再全面抺一次,跟住先至用落裝油全面再洗一次,再用cleansing form全面就再落裝咁樣。咁所以其實都有四五個step囉。

Reference: https://medium.com/@girlslearnenglish/你說話會中英夾雜嗎-被-污名化-的中英夾雜-why-code-mixing-is-totally-fine-32eb1f280ca

low b

Definition: A code-mixing phrase that Hong Kongers use to refer to having low intelligence or being stupid. Also used as '低B' sometimes.

Usage: E.g. 唔好咁low b係到周圍大叫啦! E.g. 低B仔,你係咪仲未get要做咩呀?

Synonym: 低B

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

uni

Definition: A code-mixing term used by upper class Hong Kongers to refer to sea urchin in a Japanese restaurant.

Usage: E.g. 當你碰上「海膽壽司」時,你可能會說Uni Sushi,但一些餐館會稱「海膽」為Sea Urchin來代替Uni (When you come across "sea urchin sushi", you will probably say Uni Sushi, but some restaurants will still use "sea urchin" to refer to uni.)

Synonym: 海膽; sea urchin

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

invite

Definition: A code-mixing term that westernised Hong Kongers often use to ask someone to go to an event in a polite and semi-formal manner.

Usage: E.g. A: 可唔可以叫埋我個friend黎?B: 好呀,等我invite埋佢啦。(A: Can you get my friend to come as well? B: Sure, let me invite him.)

Synonym: 邀請

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/2051830/page/2

keep

Definition: (verb) A code-mixing term meaning to continue doing or retain control of something.

Usage: E.g. 日日keep fit先會健康架。 E.g. 你D身材keep得幾好喎。 E.g. 我地以後keep contact啦。 E.g. 不如keep in touch好唔好?

Synonym: 保持

Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxrKXQowtvk

osim

Definition: Often translated into a bilingual pun 'Old嬋' meaning a middle aged woman, this is a code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to refer to the Osim massage chair.

Usage: E.g. 有OSIM唔洗搵Old嬋,但係坐上去就變左Old嬋。(If we have OSIM, then there is no need to find an old auntie. But sitting on an OSIM chair will make you an old auntie.)

Synonym: Old嬋

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/2358165/page/1

fail

Definition: Often transliterated and pronounced as the loan phrase '肥佬' meaning 'fat guy', this is a code-mixing term that native Hong Kongers use to describe getting an unsuccessful result when doing something. Sometimes, it can be shortened to '肥' (fat) as a verb.

Usage: E.g. 哎呀!今次考試肥左佬! E.g. 唔係掛?考咁多次都肥?!

Synonym: 肥佬

Reference: https://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/words/16296/

receiver

Definition: A code-mixing term that local Hong Kongers use to refer to a small wireless unit that is plugged into a computer’s USB port for receiving signals for a keyboard or mouse.

Usage: E.g. 有冇見過我個receiver? 我好似唔見左。

Synonym: 接收器

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