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Hong Kong Code-mixing Dictionary

A contemporary Cantonese-English dictionary


10 random words out of 822 results

magic

Definition: A code-mixing term used by all sorts of Hong Kongers to refer to the popular trading card game called Magic the Gathering. Usage: E.g. A: 打唔打magic呀? B: 等我整吓我個deck先再同你揪。(A: Do you want to play magic? B: Let me sort out my deck first before I dual with you.)Synonym: Magic the Gathering, 魔法風雲會Reference: https://magic.wizards.com/zh-Hant

finance

Definition: A code-mixing term that working class Hong Kongers use as a broader term to refer to a whole load of stuff related to managing money, assets, investments, borrowing and more. Sometimes, it is also used as another term for money, especially when the word money just sounds sensitive to a person. Usage: E.g. A: 你做咩行業? B: Finance. A: 咁係做銀行, 財務管理, 投資定係咩? (A: What industry do you work in? B: Finance. A: So do you work in bank, asset management, investment or what? E.g. 今餐有D貴。你有冇finance? (This meal is quite expensive. Do you have finance?)Synonym: 金融,財務,財政,資金 Reference: https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/金融学

project

Definition: A generic code-mixing term that can used for a number of different items in Cantonese. Usage: E.g. 你公司近排搞緊D咩project呀?(項目) E.g. 今次呢個project搞成點呀?(研究) E.g. 你諗住下次搞d咩project呀?(計劃) E.g. 小心D呀,唔見寫住project in progress咩?(工程)Reference: https://holiday.presslogic.com/article/224449/港式-廣東話-中英夾雜-口語-香港人-搭lift-食lunch

thinking

Definition: A code-mixing term used by local Hong Kong students to cover a range of criteria in an exam such as a person's thought or perspective, process of thinking, mental attitude, reasoning path, etc. Sometimes, it may be a term short for critical thinking. Usage: E.g. 考作文好睇你個thinking。(A writing exam really tests your thinking.)Synonym: 諗法; 思路; 思考; 思想; 思維 Reference: https://lihkg.com/thread/2517481/page/2

hai

Definition: A romanised code-mixing term that foreignised Hong Kongers use when they want to say ‘yes’ to someone. Usage: Hong Konger: Are you a gweilo? Foreigner: Hai.Synonym: 係Reference: https://www.timeout.com/hong-kong/travel/basic-cantonese-phrases-every-traveller-to-hong-kong-needs-to-know

ready

Definition: A code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers to refer to a person's mental state that is immediate for action without necessarily having done any preparation. When used in negation form 'not ready', it may mean that preparation is already done but the person is still not ready. Usage: E.g. 如果一個女仔話鍾意你,但係未ready一齊,要我等,係咩意思 (If a girl says she likes you, but isn't ready to be together with you and asks you to wait, what does that mean?)Synonym: 準備好Reference: https://amp.lihkg.com/thread/3629688/page/1

madam

Definition: The Hong Kong way of referring to a female police officer (女警官). Usage: E.g. 女警:Target出現。全世界出動!下屬:Yes, Madam!Synonym: 女警官Reference: https://www.gushiciku.cn/dl/0pydp/zh-hk

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/

out cat

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

Sor

Definition: Often added with a ‘lor’ (囉) denoting a tone of reluctance, this is a code-mixing term used by native Hong Kongers when they want to say sorry or apologize to someone. Usage: E.g. A: 喂,你踩到我隻腳喎!B:SOR囉。(A: Hey, you stepped on my foot! B: SOR LOR.)Synonym: 對唔住,sorryReference: https://www.instagram.com/p/DScomA6EVMW/?img_index=1&igsh=MWNwaWNrd2tkM3JtYg== (use mobile version)
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