Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

Definition: A code-mixing phrase used by working class Hong Kongers to emphasize the duration of time that an event is happening which is probably not coming to an end so soon.

Usage: E.g. 總之as long as我係你個上司，你就要聽我講既野。(In short, as long as I am your superior, you have to listen to what I say.)

Synonym: 只要

Reference: https://www.facebook.com/100094319732462/posts/簡單總結返尋日live-1-租務改革令租客更難租樓難言對經濟整體有正面影響2-對於hong-kong-scouser嘅campaign-我哋認為同我地bno平權/689410454212940/

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

Definition: Originated from Italian meaning 'milk', this is a code-mixing used by upper class Hong Kongers to refer to the type of coffee made with espresso and hot steamed milk, which they believe should not be as heavy as other kinds of coffee as the term '拿鐵' denotes, which has the literal meaning of 'carry metal'.

Usage: E.g. 唔該，我想要一杯tall size既latte。(Excuse me, may I have a tall sized latte?)

Synonym: 拿鐵

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/3648151/page/1

Definition: Said to have originated from 'copycat' in English, this is a Kongish code-mixing phrase that refers to someone who cheats or copies other people's answers in an exam. (出貓)

Usage: E.g. Don't dare to bring out the cat in an exam! (唔好咁大擔考試出貓！)

Synonym: 出貓

Reference: https://www.scmp.com/yp/discover/lifestyle/article/3181508/cat-got-your-tongue-feline-inspired-cantonese-slang-all-kinds

Definition: This is a code-mixing term that is used instead of the Cantonese equivalent '大文件夾' to refer to a large-sized folder for keeping documents.

Usage: E.g. 如果folder唔夠大，搵個binder再放哂D文件入去。

Synonym: 大文件夾

Definition: A phrase used by native Hong Kongers to affirm that something is true or obvious, usually among friends and relatives in informal settings, especially with the particle 'la' in Cantonese.

Usage: E.g. 朋友: 今日出街記住載口罩。　你：Of course啦！ E.g. 女朋友: 哇，你好叻呀。　你：Of course啦！ E.g. 男朋友: 估唔到你咁醒目。　你：Of course啦！

Definition: Known as Kongish, this is a code-mixing phrase used by native Hong Kongers to refer to forming inner circles and having decisions made by its members.

Usage: E.g. You think they are really inviting a bid? They are just wai wai wai!

Synonym: 圍威喂

Reference: https://words.hk/zidin/圍威喂

Definition: A chic-sounding code-mixing term that refers to year-end bonus (花紅) in Cantonese.

Usage: E.g. 你間公司今個年尾有bonus嗎?

Synonym: 花紅

Reference: https://aclanthology.org/O09-5003.pdf

Definition: A code-mixing phrase used by native Hong Kongers to describe having a habit of joining events sometimes or occasionally without sounding they like to quit and join again all the time.

Usage: E.g. 我最近好忙呀，所以on and off咁樣join啲events囉。(I have been very busy, so I joined events on and off.)

Synonym: 斷斷續續

Reference: https://blog.english4u.net/blog2.aspx?id=1830

Definition: Originated from ‘access’, this is a code-mixing term that working class Hong Kongers use to refer to the means through which one can enter a system or having the permission to retrieve data from a system.

Usage: E.g. 唔該可唔可以比個database既assess比我？ (Could you give me the access to the database?) E.g. 我assess唔到個system。可唔可以比密碼我？(I cannot access the system. Can you give me the password?)

Synonym: access, 讀取

Reference: https://www.instagram.com/reels/CjZh3wSpu4l/ (use mobile version)