Meanings
- MalaysiaSingaporeambitransitivecolloquialinvariableTo leave someone out from an event or activity by not inviting them.
Why got free barbecue 'bo jio'?
2015 July 5, S M Ong, “Why got free barbecue 'bo jio'*?”, in The New Paper Online, archived from the original on 24 Nov 20153 more examples
Wa Lao William Tan, Why you Bo Jio Me to eat Domino’s Pizza?
2012 June 20, [Author Unknown], “9gag Singapore: Blogger William Tan Bo Jio Blogger Hpility”, in Hpility SG, retrieved 22 Oct 2015When we asked you for your favourite Singlish Slang, alamak, all the kiasu people rushed to share their favourites! Some won prizes. That could have been you. We hope next time you wouldn’t paiseh and join in the fun. Don’t say we bojio hor.
2014, [Author Unknown], “Love Singapore 50”, in Frasers Centerpoint Limited, retrieved 22 Oct 2015Don’t say we bo jio you to use JIO.
2014 October 11, Hu Ching, “This simple app might retire ‘bo jio’ from the Singlish vocabulary”, in mothership.sg
Origin
From Hokkien 無／无 (bô, “not”) + 招 (chio, “invite”).
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
bo jio. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bo%20jio
“bo jio.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bo%20jio. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bo jio,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bo%20jio.
Source: bo jio on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.