Chinglish is the dialect of the English language most commonly used in Hong Kong. It is a rich blend of English and Chinese. Most people from Hong Kong, Macau, and Guangzhou, whose first language is Cantonese, speak or at least understand Chinglish. I researched and defined each word to reveal and convey my ideas by using typographic and image elements to create these posters.
Add oil is an expression that has gained currency in Hong Kong in the last few years. It is a literal translation of the Cantonese phrase Ga yao and is used as an exclamation of encouragement or support, because loosely translated, oil is the same as gas, and gas is energy. The phrase is similar to Go get ’em in English.
People mountain people sea means there are a lot of people in a place making it very crowded. It’s basically the Chinese equivalent of a sea of people. It is usually used to describe a big event or a scene.