The terms Hong Konger (or Hongkonger), Hongkongese, and Hong Kong People are all translated into the Cantonese term of Hèung Góng Yàhn (Chinese: 香港人; Cantonese Yale: Hèung Góng Yàhn). As a result, the above terms are different only as far as English language usage is concerned. People from Hong Kong in Western countries are also referred to colloquially as Hongers[citation needed] (or honkies[citation needed], an offensive term ), however these latter terms are not always well received. The terms embodies a civic identity as opposed to one based upon race or ethnicity.
Hong Konger is used more often by native speakers of English,[citation needed] while Hong Kong People, a more direct translation of the term Hèung Góng Yàhn, is used to a greater extent by Chinese native speakers in Hong Kong when writing or speaking in English.[citation needed] Hongkongese is a relatively recent term coined by the North American press, likely using the same suffix as the word Chinese does.[1]
The term Hong Kong Chinese was used more often in the 19th to early 20th century in Hong Kong[citation needed], where the British population residing in Hong Kong made up a higher percentage than what it comprises now. One used to refer to an individual as Hong Kong Chinese in order to differentiate the person from a Hong Kong Briton.