paak1 zam1啪針啪针
Jyutpingpaak1 zam1
Yalepāak jām
Definition
To take drugs through needle injection.
colloquialhealthslang
How it's used
This term is highly stigmatized and carries a strong negative connotation, reflecting the severe social disapproval of intravenous drug use in Hong Kong. It is strictly colloquial and should never be used in formal or polite settings. The word specifically refers to the act of injecting illicit substances rather than medical injections, which are referred to as 打針.
Examples
He used to inject drugs all the time, which ruined his health.
Have you ever seen anyone injecting drugs in the park?
Related words
Common phrases
addiction to injecting drugs
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 打針, which is the standard, neutral term for receiving a medical injection or vaccination. Using 啪針 in a medical context would be extremely offensive and confusing.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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Classifier
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Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
