Meanings
nounding ding (plural ding dings)
plural ding dings
- Hong KonginformalA tram.
Another 157 trams will display a smile on their bumpers for three months to represent Hongkongers’ happy collective memories of the vehicles, affectionately known as “ding dings”.
2017, Cannix Yau, “Happy happy ding ding? Hong Kong’s new-look trams offer more smiles per mile”, in South China Morning Post
Origin
Onomatopoeic of the warning bell or tickets punches. . Reduplication of ding, after the double-bell-ring of a tram.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Cantonese 叮叮, 叮叮車 /叮叮车
- 叮叮 (ding¹ ding¹)Hong Kong tram
- 叮叮車 /叮叮车 (ding¹ ding¹ ce¹)Hong Kong tram
Chinese Mandarin 叮叮, 叮叮車 /叮叮车
- 叮叮 (dīngdīng)Hong Kong tram
- 叮叮車 /叮叮车 (dīngdīngchē)Hong Kong tram
Cite this entry
APA
ding ding. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ding%20ding
MLA
“ding ding.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ding%20ding. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ding ding,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ding%20ding.
Source: ding ding on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.