Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

Definition: A code-mixing term used by a "Jayden Mami" to describe a state of emotional stress due to a child misbehaving, even though it sounds less serious and less hinting of being upset or furious compared to the Cantonese equivalent terms.

Usage: E.g. Jayden，你唔勤力啲swim，媽咪同爸B會angry㗎！(Jayden, if you don't work harder on swimmig, Mami and Daddy will be angry!)

Synonym: 嬲; 激氣; 憤怒; 生氣

Reference: https://eastweek.stheadline.com/pets/18474/Jayden媽咪是誰社交網絡爆紅兼殺入毛孩界

Definition: Derived from the internet slang 'laugh out loud'. this is a cliche code-mixing term that has grown out of the textspeak medium into human speech. As opposed to 'lol' being such an overused term on the internet where the meaning is often not that literal, the term is used by westernised Hong Kongers to really mean laugh out loud.

Usage: E.g. 睇完套戲真係lol左。(I really laughed out loud after watching the movie!)

Synonym: 大聲笑, 撈

Definition: A Kongish code-mixing term that local Hong Kong students use to refer to treating someone a meal, such as lunch or dinner.

Usage: E.g. Can you invite you to dinner today?

Synonym: 請

Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkP4AAqaKTk

Definition: A useful alternative if your boss is tired of hearing the word 'somehow' when you want to avoid saying 'I don't know' to a question.

Usage: E.g. For some reason個file corrupt左。 E.g. For some reason個printer壞左。 E.g. For some reason今次個客唔搵我地。

Definition: A code-mixing phrase that is often mistaken as grammatically incorrect due to the word 'very' being considered redundant, as 'delicious' already denotes the meaning of very yummy. However, it originates from '好好味' in Cantonese, which means 'very very tasty'.

Usage: E.g. 哇，Ｄ野食真係very delicious呀。

Synonym: 好好味

Definition: Often said without a 'bus', this is a chique sounding code-mixing term that working class Hong Kongers use to refer to a vehicle that has more specific and direct route to a destination. However, the Cantonese equivalent '穿梭巴士' may be used more often during holiday as it may sound more enjoyable and less 'chur' to ride on.

Usage: E.g. 我每日返工都有得搭shuttle，好快就到公司。 (I can take the shuttle to work every day and get to to office very fast.)

Synonym: 穿梭巴士，接駁巴士

Reference: https://www.weekendhk.com/網絡熱話/中英夾雜-港式廣東話-香港人-ctb02-by-1413297/2/

Definition: A code-mixing phrase used by a Jayden Mami when they want their children to become conscious when getting out of bed in the morning, in addition to just getting up physically as in '起身' in Cantonese.

Usage: E.g. Angus, 起身wake up喇。What time is it now? (Angus, get up and wake up. What time is it now?)

Synonym: 醒; 起身

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

Definition: A code-mixing phrase used by native Hong Kongers in the 1990's in a schoolyard joke rhyme with absurd religious crossover.

Usage: E.g. I don't know，食鬆糕，食完鬆糕變耶穌，耶穌教我念聖經，我教耶穌念佛經，耶穌話我唔正經，我話耶穌發神經。(I don't know, I'll eat sponge cake; after eating it, I'll turn into Jesus. Jesus teaches me to recite the Bible, and I teach Jesus to recite Buddhist sutras. Jesus says I'm not being serious, and I tell Jesus he's gone mad.)

Synonym: 我唔知

Reference: https://www.hk01.com/article/830396?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=01appshare

Definition: A code-mixing term that working class Hong Kongers use to refer to the activity of finding a job, which definitely sounds more fun, exciting and challenging than the Cantonese equivalent terms '求職' and '找工作'.

Usage: E.g. A: 你搵到工嗎? B: 冇呀，我仲喺到job hunting。

Synonym: 求職, 找工作

Reference: https://www.reddit.com/r/HongKong/comments/1opsow8/job_hunting_socialising_in_hk/

Definition: A code-mixing term that is often used in the workplace environment of Hong Kong to refer to a proposal document.

Usage: E.g. 老細叫你打嗰份proposal打完未呀？E.g. 今次份proposal太短喇，又唔夠detail。再打過啦。

Synonym: 計劃書