Slang: Red Hot Hong Kong Slang's English Equivalent (Updated)

http://lockyep.blogspot.com/2009/07/slang-red-hot-hong-kong-slangs-english.html

(Updated on 10th July 2009)

Apart from all those "cool" benefits I mention in the class about the use of slang, I guess people just have a natural, inborn appetite for slang, all sorts of slang.

Anyway, here I would like to share the red-hot Hong Kong slang’s English equivalent and some direct translated words with you.

HK Slang	Direct Translation	parts of speech	English Equivalent
"Gag"		noun	gag / joke
"O" Zeoi2	O Mouth	adjective	agape
“Body check”		noun	medical checkup
Ceoi1 Seoi2	Blow water	verb	to chatter / to talk rubbish
Ceot1		verb / noun	to stamp (on a envelope)
Ceot1 Maau1	Out cat	verb	to cheat in an exam / a test
Cyun3	Stick	adjective	Cocky
Faat3 Mui4	Rich Mould	verb	to mould
Fik6		verb	to flick
Fu4 Luk1	Symbol work	noun	fluke
Gaau1 Soei2 Fai3	to pay water bill	verb	to pay the water bill / to urinate
Gau3 Daam2	to have gall bladder	verb	to have guts / to be daring
Gau3 Goeng1	to have ginger	verb	to have guts / to be daring
Gu1 Lei1		noun	Coolie
Hea5		verb	to hack (around) / to kill time / to slack
Hoeng1 Gong2 Goek3	Hong Kong Foot	noun	Athlete’s foot
Ja2		adjective	Lousy / Tacky
Jetso		noun	discount or special offer
Lip1		noun	Lift
Sau1 Dou3 Fung1	Got wind	clause	to get the wind of sth
Syu4 Mak1	Potato brand	noun	Schmuck
Tong1	to slice / to chop	verb	to vomit after gettinig drunk
Zoek3 Cou2	Wear grass	Verb	to exile / to be on the run

Here are some examples of Chinglish which are used by English speaking countries:

• Long time no see
• Look-see
• No can do -- Cannot be done
• Where to? -- Where do you want to go to?
• No go

Special thanks to Maggie for helping me in this entry.

Resources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Kong_English

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code-switching_in_Hong_Kong

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinglish

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_Cantonese_Pinyin

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Kong_Government_Cantonese_Romanisation

http://hkblog.xanga.com/667062380/28207243353352135486214753895734796/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_time_no_see_(phrase)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Pidgin_English#Influence_on_English

http://arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-can/

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=47059&dict=CALD

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?dict=CALD&key=47134&ph=on

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?dict=CALD&key=11045&ph=on

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hack+around

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=70327&dict=CALD&ph=on

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=14660&dict=CALD&ph=on

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?dict=CALD&key=80987&ph=on