The generic forms of Hong Kong place names are mainly Cantonese, Hakka and British English, although other languages also contribute to Hong Kong place names.
The majority of generic forms are suffix such as Chung in Kwai Chung. Some indicators of ordering and direction could be as prefixes, for example, Tai Pai (大白, lit. first white), Yi Pai (二白, second white).
It is common that Cantonese place names change Chinese characters of similar pronunciation because of misinterpretation by mandarins or visitors from foreign villages and cities, illiteracy of local villages, seeking of good fortune and replace of disgusting meanings.
| Name | Character | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Am, Ngam | 岩 | rock, rock face, crag |
| Au | 坳 or 凹 | mountain pass |
| Chai/Tsai | 仔 | small/minor, word suffix indicating a diminutive. |
| Chai | 寨 | defensed village |
| Chau | 洲 | islet, island |
| Che | 輋 | place near hill/mountain |
| Chung | 涌 | estuarial lagoon at mouth or confluence of stream, stream |
| Ha | 下 | lower |
| Hang | 坑 | valley |
| Hau | 口 | opening |
| Heung | 鄉 | village, rural area |
| Ho | 河 | river |
| Hoi | 海 | sea |
| Hom | 磡 | pillar, mill-stone |
| Hui | 墟 | market, locality within a town |
| Kai | 街 | street |
| Kan | 澗 | stream |
| Kap | 甲 | something that sticks out, bulge, appendage. |
| Kau | 滘 | basin |
| Kiu | 橋 | bridge |
| Ko Tan | 高灘 | elevated plain |
| Kok | 角 | point (of land), horn, angle |
| Kuk | 谷 | valley |
| Lam | 林 | wood or forest |
| Leng/Ling | 嶺 | hill-top, ridge |
| Long | narrow elongated valley between hills | |
| Lo Wai | 老圍 | old walled village |
| Mei | 尾 | tail (of a place) |
| Mun | 門 | door/gate, opening, channel |
| O | 澳 | cove, small bay or harbour |
| Pai | 排 | slab (of rock), (rocky) reef. |
| Pik | 壁 | cliff |
| Ping | 坪 | plain |
| Po | 埗 | pier |
| Po | 埔 | plain (?) |
| Pun | 盤 | basin |
| San Tsuen | 新村 | new village |
| Sha | 沙 | sand, sandy beach, sandy cay or shoal |
| Shan | 山 | hill, mountain, mountainous island/islet |
| Shek | 石 | rock |
| Sheung | 上 | upper |
| Shing | 城 | walled city |
| Shui | 水 | water, stream |
| Tam | 潭 | pool |
| Tan | 灘 | beach or shallow band |
| Tau | 頭 | head (of a place) |
| Tei | 地 | land, place |
| Tin | 田 | field (flooded or dry) |
| To | 島 | island |
| To | 肚 | valley |
| Tong | 塘 | pond, plain |
| Tong | 堂 | hall |
| Tun | 墩 | small (usually rounded) hill |
| Tung | 洞 | cave (and ?) |
| Tung | 峒 | |
| Tsim | 尖 | sharp, sharp peak |
| Tsui | 咀/嘴 | pointed headland |
| Tsuen | 村 | village |
| Tuk | 篤 | the very end (of a place) |
| Wai | 圍 | walled village |
| Wan | 灣 | bay |
| Wan | 環 | district |
| Wo | 窩 | basin, hollow, coombe |
| Yiu | 窰 | kiln |
Most common Chinese translation in brackets.
Most common Chinese translation in brackets.
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