鐵膠

Chinese

		short for 鐵路／铁路	idiot; nerd
trad. (鐵膠)		鐵	膠
simp. (铁胶)		铁	胶

Pronunciation

• Cantonese (Jyutping): tit³ gaau¹

---

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: tit³ gaau¹
    • Yale: tit gāau
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tit⁸ gaau¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: tid³ gao¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰiːt̚³ kaːu̯⁵⁵/

Noun

鐵膠

1. (Hong Kong Cantonese, neologism, derogatory, possibly offensive) railfan; trainspotter (especially ill behaved)
   • 2016 December 25, 蘋果動新聞 HK Apple Daily, 1:07 from the start, in 南港島綫車站開畀你睇　鐵路迷：窄窄地‎^[1], spoken by 黃生先 [Mr. Wong]:

     我真係唔係鐵膠，因為我係作為一個十幾年海怡半島嘅居民，噉當然好關心南港島綫通車啦。 [Hong Kong Cantonese, trad.]
     我真系唔系铁胶，因为我系作为一个十几年海怡半岛嘅居民，噉当然好关心南港岛线通车啦。 [Hong Kong Cantonese, simp.]

     ngo⁵ zan¹ hai⁶ m⁴ hai⁶ tit³ gaau¹, jan¹ wai⁶ ngo⁵ hai⁶ zok³ wai⁴ jat¹ go³ sap⁶ gei² nin⁴ hoi² ji⁴ bun³ dou² ge³ geoi¹ man⁴, gam² dong¹ jin^4-2 hou² gwaan¹ sam¹ naam⁴ gong² dou² sin³ tung¹ ce¹ laa¹. [Jyutping]

     Seriously, I'm not a trainspotter. As a resident of South Horizons for more than ten years, naturally I am really concerned about the opening of the South Island line.

   • 2021 August 17, 黃偉倫, “交通迷自白｜鐵迷非鐵膠　愛好者深入鑽研票價　點破港鐵收費問題”, in 《香港01》 [HK01]‎^[2], archived from the original on 2024-06-29:

     在鏡頭以外，有不少理性鐵路迷，本身任職教師、工程師等專業，但社會只會籠統標籤為「鐵膠」。 [Literary Cantonese, trad.]
     在镜头以外，有不少理性铁路迷，本身任职教师、工程师等专业，但社会只会笼统标签为「铁胶」。 [Literary Cantonese, simp.]

     zoi⁶ geng³ tau⁴ ji⁵ ngoi⁶, jau⁵ bat¹ siu² lei⁵ sing³ tit³ lou⁶ mai⁴, bun² san¹ jam⁶ zik¹ gaau³ si¹, gung¹ cing⁴ si¹ dang² zyun¹ jip⁶, daan⁶ se⁵ wui^6-2 zi² wui⁵ lung⁵ tung² biu¹ cim¹ wai⁴ “tit³ gaau¹”. [Jyutping]

     Behind the camera, there are many rational trainspotters working as professionals such as teachers and engineers, but society only sweepingly labels them as "train nerds".

   • 2022 August 21, “下一站...”, in 星期日檔案 [Sunday Report]‎^[3], spoken by 紀俊安 [Aaron Kei]:

     自己都會笑稱自己係一個「鐵膠」 [Cantonese, trad.]
     自己都会笑称自己系一个「铁胶」 [Cantonese, simp.]

     zi⁶ gei² dou¹ wui⁵ siu³ cing¹ zi⁶ gei² hai⁶ jat¹ go³ “tit³ gaau¹” [Jyutping]

     I would jokingly call myself a "train nerd"

   • 2022 November 27, 伍軒沛, 梁少儀, “港鐵國產Q-Train　今從彩虹出發”, in 《大公報》 [Ta Kung Pao], page A1:

     作為一個有20年資歷的「鐵膠」，紀俊安說，舊式的M-Train是帶他進入鐵路迷軌道的列車。 [Literary Cantonese, trad.]
     作为一个有20年资历的「铁胶」，纪俊安说，旧式的M-Train是带他进入铁路迷轨道的列车。 [Literary Cantonese, simp.]

     zok³ wai⁴ jat¹ go³ jau⁵ 20 nin⁴ zi¹ lik⁶ dik¹ “tit³ gaau¹”, gei² zeon³ on¹ syut³, gau⁶ sik¹ dik¹ M-Train si⁶ daai³ taa¹ zeon³ jap⁶ tit³ lou⁶ mai⁴ gwai² dou⁶ dik¹ lit⁶ ce¹. [Jyutping]

     Having been a "train nerd" for 20 years, Aaron Kei says, old-style M-Train is the train that brought him onto the tracks of trainspotting.

Related terms

• 鐵路迷／铁路迷 (tiělùmí)

See also

• 巴膠／巴胶 (“bus enthusiast”)
• 𨋢膠／䢂胶 (“lift enthusiast”)