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Dating back to Hong Kong being colonized by the British from 1842 to 1997, the Opium War between Britain and China was the start of Hong Kong English. The Opium War started because Britain was illegally trading Opium in China, which caused China to worry about the economic and social effects. The Opium War resulted in China signing the Treaty of Nanking, an agreement to end the war and surrender the Hong Kong territory to Britain as the accessibility port in trading with China.

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During the colonized period, English-speaking traders in Hong Kong consisted of people in Hong Kong from places like East India, England and Scotland, and America. This was the first exposure to English and Western culture.

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Before the education reform, English classes in Hong Kong were more teacher-centered, focused mainly on grammar, and lacked opportunities to use and reinforce English. Students learned English through the traditional "lectures" and "pencil and paper."

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English was associated with Western culture and was perceived as a sign of societal success. Students were motivated to learn English just to pass examinations, get into higher education, and as an opportunity for higher-paying jobs. A lot of parents also acknowledged that learning English was the "gateway" to their successful future.

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Cantonese and English are the official languages found in Hong Kong. English is considered to be the second most prominent language used. After 1997, Hong Kong became what is known as the "Hong Kong Special Administrative Region" (HK SAR). This resulted in China having a “One Country, Two Systems” policy. This policy meant that Hong Kong is geographically in the same country as China, but it implements a different government and system. Rather, it decided to become its own democratic society. As a result of this change, big reforms occurred, like education reform in 2000 ensured the learning of Mandarin (the native language of China), Cantonese, and English.

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In 1974, English was declared an official language in Hong Kong by the Official Languages Ordinance, marking a shift from the British colonial era to the modern day.

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There are still ongoing discussions about English being a part of the cultural identity of the citizens of Hong Kong. "Code-mixing" is the term that was created and is prevalent in Hong Kong. It refers to a person who is neither Western nor Chinese, but a balance of both cultures.

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However, some citizens of Hong Kong still believe that the use of English in a social setting is not appropriate. They believe that English should only be used in an academic and professional setting. This is because citizens are trying to preserve Cantonese as a main factor of Hong Kong culture, and English is just a tool for their academics and profession.

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Hong Kong has elements that reflect a blend of Chinese-Western culture. The use and understanding of the English language is one of them.

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There are differences in some vowel sounds:

/i/

/I/

Both sound like /I/

"Heat" -> "Hit"

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/e/

/æ/

Both sound like /æ/

"Head" -> "had"

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/z/ -> /s/ ("Zeal" -> "Seal")

/ʒ/ -> /ʃ/ ("Pleasure" -> "Pressure")

/v/ -> /w/ ("Advertise" -> 'Adwertise")

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interchange of /l/ and /r/ -> "fry" -> "fly

interchange of /l/ -> /n/ -> "let" -> "net"

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/θ/ -> /f/

"Three" -> "Free"

/ð/ -> /d/

"That" -> "Dat'

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Hong Kong English words are found to be borrowed from other languages, like:

"Chinglish" (Both English and Chinese)

Cantonese/Mandarin

"Amah" - a woman who takes care of the house (housewife) -> Taken from Portuguese for "Nurse"

Indian

Arabic

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Omitting or leaving out articles like "the" and "a"

Does not use contractions like "I'm" or "We've"

- Instead, they use the full form of words like "I am" or "We have"

Omits suffixes like -ed, or -ing

- "He is laugh."

Lack of subject-verb agreement

- "He always go to school every day." -> "He always goes to school every day."

Lacking "to be" verbs

- "I afraid of roller coasters" -> "I am afraid of rollercoasters"

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According to a Census, it shows that in 2016, 4.3% of Hong Kongers spoke English as their first language, and 48.9% speak English as a second language.

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Hong Kong was ranked in 4th place out of 23 Asia countries and regions in terms of speaking and using English.

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Conditions, social media blamed for more fights aboard Hong Kong flights

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Hong Kong’s restaurants in ‘vicious circle’ of closures #ytshorts

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Websites:

1. International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) Chart. (n.d.). https://www.ipachart.com/

2. Oxford English Dictionary. (n.d.). Introduction to Hong Kong English. https://www.oed.com/discover/introduction-to-hong-kong-english/?tl=true

3. Wu, Y. (2024). Finding Hong Kong's place in the world of English. HKU Business School. https://www.hkubs.hku.hk/research/thought-leadership/hkej-column/finding-hong-kongs-place-in-the-world-of-english/

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1. Wu, Y. (2023). Overview of Hong Kong English and China English. ResearchGate https://www.researchgate.net/publication/385693343_Overview_of_Hong_Kong_English_and_China_English

2. Gube, J. (2011). English and its role in Hong Kong cultural identity. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/250917900_English_and_its_role_in_Hong_Kong_cultural_identity

3. Wu, Y. (2023). English Speakers in Hong Kong. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/354162495_English_Speakers_in_Hong_Kong

4. Evans, S. (2018). Review of The English Language in Hong Kong: Diachronic and Synchronic Perspectives by Stephen Evans. Academia.edu. https://www.academia.edu/36320096/Review_of_The_English_Language_in_Hong_Kong_Diachronic_and_Synchronic_Perspectives_by_Stephen_Evans

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Carrie Lam was a former Hong Kong Chief Executive 

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Carrie Lam was a former Hong Kong Chief Executive 

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Answering questions in English is a 'waste of time' says Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam

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Sociopolitical Context and History Audio

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Sociopolitical Context and History Audio

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Phonological, Morphosyntactic, and Lexical Characteristics of Hong Kong English Audio

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Phonological, Morphosyntactic, and Lexical Characteristics of Hong Kong English Audio