Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

Definition: A code-mixing term used by Hong Kong actor 楊偉倫 to express loyalty to his boss in the movie of Night King that he would absolutely go all out and brave any danger and obstacles.

Usage: E.g. 「我土地，學富五car，如果他朝有一日，你真的開鴨店的話，我赴湯蹈fire，做你頭牌！」(I'm Land, learned and knowledgeable like five cars. If one day you really open a male escort club, I'll brave any danger, go all out, and be your top male escort!)

Synonym: 赴湯蹈火

Reference: https://www.gotrip.hk/娛樂/夜王-黃子華-金句-1863616/3/

Definition: Often mistaken as mispronunciation, this is a code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to refer to the USB Type-C connector or port that is used by a variety of peripheral devices, such as PC's, laptops, mobile devices, mice, etc.

Usage: E.g. 事關上面Type C 的Tape 音。所以有點疑惑: Type-C 是一個term, 所以讀法唔同？(Regarding the above link's Tape pronunciation of Type C, I have the following question: If Type-C is a term, does it pronounce differently?)

Synonym: Type C

Reference: https://m.review33.com/forum_msg.php?db=3&tstart=0&s=&topic=85220221230810&number=6&sort=1

Definition: Known as Kongish, this is a code-mixing idiom used by native Hong Kongers to describe someone who refuses to concede despite knowing that they made the mistake in the first place. '死雞撐飯蓋' can also be shortened to '死撐' sometimes.

Usage: E.g. You know you've done wrong! Stop being like a dead chicken propping up the rice cooker lid!

Synonym: 死雞撐飯蓋

Reference: https://www.localiiz.com/post/culture-local-stories-popular-cantonese-idioms

Definition: (textspeak) Transliterated from ‘緊‘, this is a Kongish code-mixing term that is added to the end of verbs to denote the sense of ongoing, just like the ‘ing’ in English as in ‘doing’.

Usage: E.g. Nei jo gun d meh ar? （你做緊d咩呀？） E.g. Ngo sik gun farn ah. (我食緊飯呀）

Synonym: 緊

Reference: https://hklanguage.home.blog/tag/kongish/

Definition: Pronounced as 'kaahn-taah' with a long back vowel and rising intonation, this is a code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers to refer to a cashier's counter, information desk or service counter.

Usage: E.g. 小弟係個賣game仔，話說我今日放飯果陣緊係出去食飯啦，咁個counter緊係冇人啦 (I'm a game seller, and of course I went out to have lunch during my lunch break today, so there was no one looking after the counter.)

Synonym: 收銀處; 客戶服務中心; 櫃檯

Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/740067/page/1

Definition: A euphemistic code-mixing term that refers to 'menstruation' in English.  However, it is also used as 'M記' to refer to McDonald\'s.

Usage: E.g. 唔好話我聽兒家先黎M麻？ E.g. 今次真係M到阿媽都唔認得喇！E.g. 今日又食M記？唔好喇掛！

Definition: A code-mixing phrase used by Hong Kong KOL Janice (janicewanwan) who is known for playing "Jayden’s mother" to emphasize the correctness of her teachings as a typical modern mom, which she says must be correct.

Usage: E.g. 中英夾雜有助 children 盡快 pick up English。Mommy told you 嘅一定是 correct 的. (Chinese-English code-mixing aids children in picking up English more quickly. Whatever Mommy told you must be correct.)

Synonym: 媽媽告訴你

Reference: https://www.hk01.com/即時娛樂/60339385/jayden之亂-中英夾雜潮文橫掃社交平台-諷刺港媽真實育兒方式?utm_campaign=native&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=01webshare#google_vignette

Definition: Originated from 'thank you' and often pronounced as '釘橋' meaning nail bridge in Cantonese, this is a code-mixing term used by working class Hong Kongers to express their gratitude towards someone.

Usage: E.g. Dank you哂你幫我手呀。不如我今日請你食lunch好嗎？(Thank you for helping me out. What about I treat you lunch today?)

Synonym: thank you, 釘橋

Reference: https://www.instagram.com/p/DLR0QEuMT7j/ (use mobile version)

Definition: A code-mixing term used by overseas educated Hong Kongers to refer to noticing something in a more passive and less intentional way.

Usage: E.g. 我唔係唔知道發生咩事，只不過當時我唔係咁aware周邊既環境姐。(It's not that I don't know what was going on, but I was just not aware of my surrounding environment at that time.)

Synonym: 意識；知道；察覺；為意

Reference: https://www.reddit.com/r/EnglishLearning/comments/1chahae/difference_between_realize_and_be_aware_of/?tl=zh-hant

Definition: A code-mixing term used by Hong Kong court judges to refer to demonstrating and establishing the truth or validity of something by providing evidence and argument, which is especially strong to use in a court of law.

Usage: E.g. 官：呢個，如果因為part of the prosecution case 嘅話，你一定要prove 嘅。(Judge: If this is part of the prosecution case, you must prove it.)

Synonym: 證明

Reference: https://hkupress.hku.hk/image/catalog/pdf-preview/9789888528202.pdf