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'Kongish': The Unique Language of Hong Kong

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Intermediate

Read the article aloud on your own or repeat each paragraph after your tutor.

'Kongish': The Unique Language of Hong Kong

For more than 100 years, Hong Kong has had two official languages: Cantonese and English.

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And although most people speak Cantonese as their first language, visitors will hear lots of English words.

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Some people in Hong Kong mix the two languages — something that has become known as "Kongish."

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Kongish has special words and phrases that are not used by other English speakers around the world, although they may be used by people who come from Hong Kong and now live in other countries.

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Many of these words and phrases have been translated directly from Cantonese to English, like "add oil." This isn't anything to do with cars or cooking — it means "keep going," "you can do it" or "cheer up."

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It was even added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2018.

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"Blowing water," is another example, although this one isn't in the dictionary.

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It can mean to make small talk, or it can be used if someone is exaggerating; for example, you might say: "That's not true, she's just blowing water."

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You can probably guess what some other Kongish phrases mean because they have similar meanings in English, like "laugh die me."

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This doesn't sound correct in English, but in Hong Kong it means someone is laughing really hard at something very funny.

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The idiom "people mountain, people sea" is another that is directly translated. This is used to describe a place that's very busy.

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For people in Hong Kong, Kongish is not only a fun way to talk — it has also become a way to express their identity.

Have a discussion based on the following questions.

What are your thoughts on Kongish?

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Which of the Kongish expressions from the article did you find interesting?

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Have you been to Hong Kong? Could you see yourself living there?

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Do people in your country ever mix English words into the local language?

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Has English had a big influence on your language?

Discussion

 Further Discussion

Have a discussion based on the following questions.

What do you most enjoy about learning English?

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Do you get much chance to use English in your day-to-day life?

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What English accents do you find difficult to understand?

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Have you been to any English-speaking countries? If so, which ones? If not, which would you most like to visit?

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Has English borrowed many words from your language? How often do you hear or read these words in English?

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