Singlish vocabulary
Encyclopedia
Singlish
is the English-based creole
spoken and written colloquially in Singapore
. Although English is the lexifier language, Singlish has its unique slang
and syntax
, which are more pronounced in informal speech.
(in terms of spelling and abbreviations), although naming conventions are in a mix of American and British ones (with American ones on the rise). For instance, local media have "sports pages" (sport in British English) and "soccer coverage" ("soccer"—originally slang for Association football—while used in Britain, is more usually called just "football"). Singlish also uses many words borrowed from Hokkien
, the Chinese dialect native to more than 75% of the Chinese in Singapore
, and from Malay
. In many cases, English words take on the meaning of their Chinese counterparts, resulting in a shift in meaning. It is also taken from Indian words such as "dai" meaning "hey", "koteh" meaning 'idiot" etc. This is most obvious in such cases as "borrow"/"lend", which are functionally equivalent in Singlish and mapped to the same Mandarin word, "借" (jiè), which can mean to lend or to borrow. For example: "Oi, can I borrow your calculator?" / "Hey, can lend me your calculator?"
There have been several efforts to compile lexicons of Singlish, some for scholarly purposes, most for entertainment. Two early humorous works were Sylvia Toh Paik Choo
's Eh, Goondu! (1982) and Lagi Goondu! (1986). In 1997 the second edition of the Times-Chambers Essential English Dictionary was published. To date, this is the only formal dictionary containing a substantial number of Singaporean English terms. Such entries and sub-entries are arranged alphabetically amongst the standard English entries. A list of common words borrowed from local languages such as Hokkien and Malay appears in an appendix. It appears that no subsequent editions have been published.
2002 saw the publication of the Coxford Singlish Dictionary, a light-hearted lexicon which was developed from material posted on the website Talkingcock.com. In 2004 a website, A Dictionary of Singlish and Singapore English, was launched to document the actual usage of Singlish and Singapore English in published material, in the way that the Oxford English Dictionary
does for standard English. Compiled by an amateur lexicographer, the Dictionary appears to be one of the more comprehensive and professionally-written dictionaries dealing exclusively with Singlish and Singapore English available so far.
The Singapore Tourism Board
and tourism-related businesses have also produced short lists of commonly used Singlish terms, ostensibly to allow foreigners visiting Singapore to comprehend the local language better. Such lists have been printed in brochures or booklets, and also published on websites.
The lack of an officially-printed version of a Singlish dictionary is due to the fact that the Singapore government frowns upon the use of Singlish, their official stand being that the speaking of Singlish will make Singaporeans difficult to understand when communicating with foreigners who are not familiar with Singlish. Thus, the government has made an effort to quash the use of Singlish and to promote the use of standard English through the Speak Good English Movement
over the past few years. Though failing to discourage the use of Singlish, it has resulted in Singlish having a bad reputation in recent years, further stalling efforts to document actual Singlish usage.
Letters contributed to the forum of The Straits Times
, the main local newspaper, by readers have called for Singlish to be kept alive in Singapore. Community efforts to do so include the aptly named "Speak Good Singlish Movement". The idea of promoting Singlish was raised as part of a larger debate on creating a uniquely Singaporean identity. However, the government has yet to officially change its stand regarding Singlish.
(the word is obtained by combining the Malay word for coffee and the Hokkien word for shop), and other eateries. Local names of many food and drink items have become Singlish and consist of words from different languages and are indicative of the multi-racial society in Singapore. For example, teh is the Malay word for tea which itself originated from Hokkien, peng is the Hokkien word for ice, kosong is the Malay word for zero to indicate no sugar, and C refers to Carnation
, a brand of evaporated milk.
These were said in these way when Singapore was with Malaysia, and Singaporeans need to learn these to get their coffee and tea correct.
The above list is not complete; for example, one can add the "-peng" suffix (meaning "iced") to form other variations such as Teh-C-peng (tea with evaporated milk and ice) which is a popular drink considering Singapore's warm weather.
Singlish
Colloquial Singaporean English, also known as Singlish, is an English-based creole language spoken in Singapore.Singlish is commonly regarded with low prestige in Singapore. The Singaporean government and many Singaporeans alike heavily discourage the use of Singlish in favour of Standard English...
is the English-based creole
Creole language
A creole language, or simply a creole, is a stable natural language developed from the mixing of parent languages; creoles differ from pidgins in that they have been nativized by children as their primary language, making them have features of natural languages that are normally missing from...
spoken and written colloquially in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. Although English is the lexifier language, Singlish has its unique slang
Slang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
and syntax
Syntax
In linguistics, syntax is the study of the principles and rules for constructing phrases and sentences in natural languages....
, which are more pronounced in informal speech.
Word origins
Singlish vocabulary formally takes after British EnglishBritish English
British English, or English , is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere...
(in terms of spelling and abbreviations), although naming conventions are in a mix of American and British ones (with American ones on the rise). For instance, local media have "sports pages" (sport in British English) and "soccer coverage" ("soccer"—originally slang for Association football—while used in Britain, is more usually called just "football"). Singlish also uses many words borrowed from Hokkien
Min Nan
The Southern Min languages, or Min Nan , are a family of Chinese languages spoken in southern Fujian, eastern Guangdong, Hainan, Taiwan, and southern Zhejiang provinces of China, and by descendants of emigrants from these areas in diaspora....
, the Chinese dialect native to more than 75% of the Chinese in Singapore
Chinese in Singapore
Chinese Singaporeans are people of Chinese ethnicity who hold Singaporean nationality. As of 2010, Chinese Singaporeans constitute 74.1% of Singapore's resident population, or approximately three out of four Singaporeans, making them the largest ethnic group in Singapore...
, and from Malay
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
. In many cases, English words take on the meaning of their Chinese counterparts, resulting in a shift in meaning. It is also taken from Indian words such as "dai" meaning "hey", "koteh" meaning 'idiot" etc. This is most obvious in such cases as "borrow"/"lend", which are functionally equivalent in Singlish and mapped to the same Mandarin word, "借" (jiè), which can mean to lend or to borrow. For example: "Oi, can I borrow your calculator?" / "Hey, can lend me your calculator?"
Singlish dictionaries and word lists
Sylvia Toh Paik Choo
Sylvia Toh Paik Choo is a newspaper columnist and humour writer from Singapore. She is the author of Eh Goondu! and Lagi Goondu! , the first two books on Singlish. She was the first to put a spelling and punctuation to Singlish. Written with good humour, the books can be considered as social...
's Eh, Goondu! (1982) and Lagi Goondu! (1986). In 1997 the second edition of the Times-Chambers Essential English Dictionary was published. To date, this is the only formal dictionary containing a substantial number of Singaporean English terms. Such entries and sub-entries are arranged alphabetically amongst the standard English entries. A list of common words borrowed from local languages such as Hokkien and Malay appears in an appendix. It appears that no subsequent editions have been published.
2002 saw the publication of the Coxford Singlish Dictionary, a light-hearted lexicon which was developed from material posted on the website Talkingcock.com. In 2004 a website, A Dictionary of Singlish and Singapore English, was launched to document the actual usage of Singlish and Singapore English in published material, in the way that the Oxford English Dictionary
Oxford English Dictionary
The Oxford English Dictionary , published by the Oxford University Press, is the self-styled premier dictionary of the English language. Two fully bound print editions of the OED have been published under its current name, in 1928 and 1989. The first edition was published in twelve volumes , and...
does for standard English. Compiled by an amateur lexicographer, the Dictionary appears to be one of the more comprehensive and professionally-written dictionaries dealing exclusively with Singlish and Singapore English available so far.
The Singapore Tourism Board
Singapore Tourism Board
The Singapore Tourism Board is a statutory board under the Ministry of Trade and Industry of Singapore, tasked to promote the country's tourism industry.-History:...
and tourism-related businesses have also produced short lists of commonly used Singlish terms, ostensibly to allow foreigners visiting Singapore to comprehend the local language better. Such lists have been printed in brochures or booklets, and also published on websites.
The lack of an officially-printed version of a Singlish dictionary is due to the fact that the Singapore government frowns upon the use of Singlish, their official stand being that the speaking of Singlish will make Singaporeans difficult to understand when communicating with foreigners who are not familiar with Singlish. Thus, the government has made an effort to quash the use of Singlish and to promote the use of standard English through the Speak Good English Movement
Speak Good English Movement
The Speak Good English Movement is a Singapore Government campaign to "encourage Singaporeans to speak grammatically correct English that is universally understood".It was launched by then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong on 29 April 2000...
over the past few years. Though failing to discourage the use of Singlish, it has resulted in Singlish having a bad reputation in recent years, further stalling efforts to document actual Singlish usage.
Letters contributed to the forum of The Straits Times
The Straits Times
The Straits Times is an English language daily broadsheet newspaper based in Singapore currently owned by Singapore Press Holdings . It is the country's highest-selling paper, with a current daily circulation of nearly 400,000...
, the main local newspaper, by readers have called for Singlish to be kept alive in Singapore. Community efforts to do so include the aptly named "Speak Good Singlish Movement". The idea of promoting Singlish was raised as part of a larger debate on creating a uniquely Singaporean identity. However, the government has yet to officially change its stand regarding Singlish.
Singlish vocabulary
A list of Singlish terms and expressions widely used in Singapore is set out below. It is not exhaustive and is meant to provide some representative examples of Singlish usage in Singapore. The origins of the Singlish terms are indicated where possible, and literal translations are provided where necessary.0–9
| Term | |Origin | |Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 4D | Singlish | Local 4 digit lottery game run by Singapore Pools Singapore Pools Singapore Pools is the only legal lottery operator in Singapore, incorporated in 1968 to curb illegal gambling. It provides a legal avenue for betting in Singapore.... . |
| 5Cs | Singlish | Refers to the 5 C's of Singapore 5 C's of Singapore The "5 Cs of Singapore", namely: Cash, Car, Credit card, Condominium and Country club membership, is a term relating to materialism. It arose as a popular joke based on certain truths attesting to the unstated Singaporean cultural ethos of materialistic obsession and aspiration to achieve these... (cash, car, credit card, condominium, country club membership). |
| 11B | Singlish | Army official vernacular. Refers to the Singapore Armed Forces Identity Card held by servicemen during their draft. Servicemen's original civilian identity cards before their enlistment are exchanged with these SAF identity cards. |
A
| Term | |Origin | |Definition |
|---|---|---|
| ABC | English | English (language). Acronym for "American-born Chinese American-born Chinese An American-born Chinese or "ABC" is a stereotype that describes a person born in the United States of Chinese ethnic descent, a category of Chinese American. Many are second-generation born after the U.S. Immigration Act of 1965 were free from limits on immigration from East Asia... ." English-speaking person, i.e. Anglophone Singaporeans. Could also describe when the mentioned subject has western elements or influences. |
| Abit the | English | To mean a little bit. |
| Action | English | In this context, the term means that the person being described is arrogant and haughty. |
| Act Blur | English and Cantonese | To play innocent. |
| Act Cute | English and Cantonese | A phrase which describes behaving in an exaggeratedly cute or adorable fashion. Can be used as both verb and adjective. |
| ACBC | English and Cantonese | Acronym for "Act Cute Bo Cute." Phrase which describes somebody attempting to behave in an exaggeratedly cute or adorable fashion. However, they come across more annoying than cute. |
| Agak-Agak | Malay | An estimate |
| Agak-Ration | Malay and English | An estimate or estimation. |
| Ar? | Cantonese and Mandarin | Used within questions and rhetoric where opinions and affirmations are being sought. Originated from the Chinese term "啊". |
| Ah Beng Ah Beng Ah Beng, from , is a stereotype applied to a certain group of young Chinese men in Southeast Asia, particularly Singapore and Malaysia. The stereotypical view of an Ah Beng is a young Chinese man or teenager who lacks cultural refinement or indulges in criminal activity or is involved in brawls or... |
Hokkien | A hillbilly, someone with little dress sense. Also used to refer to a gangster The expressions came about because Ah Beng is a common Chinese male name. A transliteration of the Chinese name "阿明" (a-bêng). |
| Ah Lian Ah Lian Ah Lian, from , is a pejorative term applied to a certain group of ethnic Chinese girls in Southeast Asia, especially Singapore and Malaysia. These Chinese girls, in their teens and twenties, are usually found in larger cities in the region. In Singapore, they usually hang out in Bugis Junction,... |
Hokkien | A hillbilly, someone with little dress sense. Qualities that attributeAlso used to refer to a gangster The expressions came about because Ah Lian is a common Chinese female name. A transliteration of the Chinese term "阿莲" (a-lián), female form of Ah Beng, |
| Ah Long | Cantonese | A transliteration of the Chinese name "阿窿", which is a shortened form of "大耳窿". Slang term for "loanshark". |
| Ah Tiong | Hokkien | A transliteration of the Hokkien term "阿中" (a-tiong), usually used simply as 'Tiong'. Refers crudely to Chinese nationals. |
| Ai See | Hokkien | Transliteration of the Hokkien term "爱死" (ài-sí, Mandarin 要死). Used to describe someone on thin ice. |
| Ai See Buay See | Hokkien | Transliteration of the Hokkien term "爱死袂死" (ài-sí buē-sí, Mandarin 要死不死). Used to describe someone on thin ice. |
| Ai Tzai | Hokkien | Used in a reassuring manner to calm people down. |
| Aiyah | Chinese | Sometimes used as "Aiyoh". Transliteration of the Chinese terms "哎呀" and "哎唷". Chinese equivalent of "Oh No!", "Oh Dear!". Another derivative of the term, Ai-Yoh-Yoh (Chinese: 哎唷唷), was popularized by the Mediacorp MediaCorp Media Corporation of Singapore, better known as MediaCorp, is a group of commercial media companies in Singapore, with business interests in television and radio broadcasting, interactive media, and, to a lesser extent, print publishing and film-making.... drama series Good Morning, Sir!. |
| Akan Datang | Malay | Means "coming soon", as seen in movie trailers. Used to reassure an impatient person. |
| Alamak | Portuguese | Phonetically close to the Chinese term "Oh, my mother!". It expresses shock or surprise. |
| Amacam | Malay | A contraction of the Malay word "Apa macam", which is used as a greeting, similar to "What's up?". |
| An Zhua? | Hokkien | Hokkien equivalent of "What's up?." Transliteration of the Hokkien term "按怎" (án-chuáⁿ). |
| Ang Moh | Hokkien | Literally means "red hair 红毛" (âng-moo). A pejorative term for people of Caucasian descent. |
| Ang Moh Pai | Hokkien | Literally means "red hair faction." From Hokkien term 红毛派" (âng-moo-phài). A pejorative term for Chinese Singaporean who speaks poor Chinese and usually prefers to speak or often uses a lot of English in a conversation. It can sometimes refer to "westernized Chinese Singaporean." |
| Ang Pau | Hokkien | Red packet with money to be given on Chinese New Year or during some occasion like wedding, birthday party and so on as a wishes to the receiver. Transliteration of the Chinese term "红包" (âng-pau). |
| Arbo | Hokkien | Means "What else?" or "How else?". Usually used as an answer to a question with an obvious answer. Transliteration of the Hokkien term "阿無" (á-bô). |
| Arrow | English | To delegate an unpleasant or boring task to someone. Term derives from the military and government's practice of stamping a tiny arrow next to the name of the person in official documents. |
| Atas | Malay | Literally means "above". Used to describe a snobbish and arrogant person. |
| Auntie | English | A generic address for middle aged or elderly woman. It may also refer to a young woman who dresses very unfashionably. |
| Ayam | Malay | Literally means "chicken". Used to describe someone who is easily intimidated. |
| Ah Bu Den/Ah Den | Singlish | Obviously; of course. Corruption of the phrase "ah then?" |
B
| Term | |Origin | |Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Balik Kampong | Malay | Pack up things and go home. |
| Banana | English | Chinese Singaporean who can only speak English. ‘Yellow on the outside, white on the inside.' |
| Berak | Malay | It means to poo |
| Belanja | Malay | To give someone a treat. |
| Blur | English | Clueless. In a daze, unaware of what is going on. |
| Bodoh | Malay | Stupid, ignorant. |
| Boh Gay | Hokkien | Hokkien pronunciation of "无牙" (bô-gê), which literally means "no teeth". Usually used to describe someone with a missing tooth. |
| Boh Liao | Hokkien | Hokkien pronunciation of "无聊" (bô-liâu), which means "boredom". A slang expression to describe being in a situation of idleness. Also used to describe an act of doing something silly. |
| Boleh | Malay | Can; possible. |
| Bo Jio | Hokkien | Never ask me go. |
| Bo Pien | Hokkien | No choice. |
| Botak | Malay | Used to describe someone bald. This term inspired the famous Botak Jones in Singapore. |
| Buay | Hokkien | Hokkien pronunciation of "袂" (buē). Means "cannot". |
| Buaya | Malay | Literally means "crocodile". Refers to a womanizer or flirt. |
| Buay Song | Hokkien | Hokkien pronunciation of "袂爽" (buē-sóng, Mandarin: 不爽). Means pissed off and not happy. |
| Buay Tahan | Hokkien and Malay | Combination of the Hokkien term "buay" and Malay term "tahan". Means "unable to withstand" or colloquially "cannot stand it" |
| Buay Pai | Hokkien | Hokkien pronunciation of "袂歹" (buē-pháiⁿ, Mandarin: 不错). Literally means "not bad". This is commonly used for food, saying that it isn't very bad or no bad. It can also be applied in people too. |
C
| Term | |Origin | |Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Chao | Hokkien | Used to refer to foul smells. From Hokkien 臭 (chhàu). It may also be used to describe cheating or playing foul (Jiak Chao) in a game. |
| Chao Keng | Hokkien | Feigning sickness or injury. Commonly used during National Service to describe recruits who pretend to be unwell to avoid participating in certain activities. Sometimes shortened to Keng. |
| Chao Mugger | Hokkien | Someone who mugs a lot because he is kiasu. |
| Char Bor | Hokkien | Girl/Woman. From Hokkien 查某 (cha-bó). |
| Cheena | Peranakan | A crude term used as a reference to people from Mainland China. |
| 'Cher (Tcher) | Singlish | Corruption of "teacher". |
| Chicken Business | English and Cantonese | Direct translation of the Cantonese slang "做雞", which means to prostitute oneself. |
| Chee Ko Pek | Hokkien | Hokkien slang for "pervert" . |
| Chim | Hokkien | Hokkien pronunciation of "深", which means "difficult". Used to describe something or a situation that is extremely hard to understand or comprehend. Variants include nouns such as chim-inology, chim-ness. |
| Chin Chai | Hokkien | Hokkien pronunciation of "凊彩" (chhìn-chhái). When applied colloquially, it means "anything" or "whatever". Used in situations when one does not feel like making a decision and wants another to help him/her make a decision. Can also be applied to situations to do something in a half-heartedly manner. |
| Chio Bu | Hokkien | Hokkien pronunciation of 俏母 (chhiò-bú). Hokkien equivalent of "hot chick". Used to describe a beautiful and attractive woman. |
| Chinaman | English | A crude term to call immigrants or foreign workers from the PRC. |
| Chop | Singlish | Refers to stamp or seal. From Malay cap, which is from Hindi छाप ćhāp (stamp). |
| Chop Chop | English | Used to tell someone to do something fast. |
| Chope | Singlish | Slang for reserving a seat. Derived from chop; to leave a mark. Singaporeans have a habit of leaving objects on seats/tables to reserve places. |
| Confirm plus Chop | Singlish | Shortened from "confirm plus guarantee got chop" To mean that you are extremely sure of something (derives from National Service/Military National Service in Singapore Conscription in Singapore, called National Service , requires all male Singaporean citizens and second-generation permanent residents who have reached the age of 18 to enrol in the military... situations where one needs to be absolutely sure about something; guarantee got chop denotes that the paperwork will be approved). |
D
| Term | |Origin | |Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Double Confirm | Singlish | Confirm and reconfirm. Used to emphasis the confirmation. |
| Du lan | Singlish | Very pissed. Literally means "poke dick". |
| Duh | Singlish | Assertion of certainty, "Of course". |
E
| Term | |Origin | |Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Eeyer | Unknown | To express disgust. |
| Eye-Power | English | Sarcastic remark to describe someone who does not contribute in group work and watches while others do the work. The term probably originated from the X-Men X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1... character Cyclops Cyclops (comics) Cyclops is a fictional character, the leader of the X-Men superhero team in the . A mutant, Cyclops emits a powerful energy beam from his eyes... from Marvel Comics Marvel Comics Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media... . |
| Encik | Malay | Literally means "Mister" in Malay. When used in military context, it is used to address warrant officers in the Singapore Armed Forces Singapore Armed Forces The Singapore Armed Forces is the military arm of the Total Defence of the Republic of Singapore; as well as the military component of the Ministry of Defence. The SAF comprises three branches: the Singapore Army, the Republic of Singapore Air Force and the Republic of Singapore Navy... . |
G
| Term | |Origin | |Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Gabra | Singlish | Used to describe confusion or disorganisation. |
| Gahmen | Singlish | Mispronunciation of the word "government", very common amongst Chinese-speaking backgrounds which tend to omit "v". In the modern context, it is used as substitute for the actual word when criticizing the government in written form to prevent possible legal action taken against the writer. |
| Garang | Malay | Literally means "fierce". Used to describe someone courageous. |
| Ger | Singlish | Corruption of "girl". |
| Gone-case | English | Means that one's doom is confirmed. |
| Goondu | Tamil | Tamil equivalent of "idiot". |
| Gostan | Malay | Means to reverse or go in the backward direction. Originates from the nautical phrase "go astern". |
| Gu Gu | Singlish | Means guy's private part (crude). |
H
| Term | |Origin | |Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Hao Lian | Hokkien | Slang term for "boast". From Hokkien 譀 (hau-). |
| Heng | Hokkien | Hokkien pronunciation of "幸" (hīng), which means to be lucky or fortunate. |
I
| Term | |Origin | |Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Ini Macam | Malay | "Like this" Means to be very certain. |
J
| Term | |Origin | |Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Jerorize | Singlish | To nullify something. Literally, to make ‘zero’. |
| Jiak | Hokkien | Hokkien pronunciation of the Chinese term "食" (chia̍h), which means to eat. |
| Jiak Chao | Hokkien | Literally means to eat grass. From Hokkien "食草" (chia̍h chháu). It may refer to being in a situation of having no money for daily expenses (i.e. broke). It may also mean to play foul in a game (slightly different pronunciation). |
| Jiak Kantang | Hokkien and Malay | Literally means 'eat potato'. Formed by the Hokkien term "Jiak" (eat) and Malay term "Kentang" (potato). It is a pejorative term referring to pompous condescending intellectuals who are slightly more educated about Western cultures. "Eating more potato" means more westernized than being Asian (eating rice). Also refers to someone displaying a western English accent that is not authentic: referring to the sound that one would make while attempting to speak with a mouthful of potato. |
| Jia Lat | Hokkien | Literally means "sapping strength". Used to describe being in trouble or a terrible situation. |
| Jibra | Singlish | Corruption of "zebra". |
| Jilo | Singlish | Corruption of "zero". |
| Jibai | Singlish | Vulgar term for the female sexual organ; or the English equivalent of 'cunt'. |
K
| Term | |Origin | |Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Kayu | Malay | Means to cheat, in terms of describing soccer matches which have been fixed ("referee kayu"). Also used to describe lack of spontaneity. (Lit. "wood") |
| Kampung | Malay | Means "village". Sometimes spelt as "kampong". |
| Kar Chng | Hokkien | Buttocks. From Hokkien 尻川 (kha-chhng). |
| Kar Pak | Singlish | Parking Lot (Car Park). |
| Kaypoh | Hokkien | Hokkien transliteration of the Chinese slang term "雞婆" (ke-pô), which refers to a busybody. Sometimes abbreviated to "kpo". |
| Kena | Malay | Means to be afflicted with or to suffer from something. |
| Kena Sai | Malay and Hokkien | A pejorative term in which "kena" means to be afflicted with and "sai" (屎) means "shit". Means to "get into deep shit" or get into deep trouble. |
| Kilat | Malay | Means "excellent". Commonly used in the military. (Lit. "lightning") |
| Kiasu Kiasu Kiasu is a Hokkien word that literally means 'fear of losing' . However its actual usage would imply a meaning more approaching that of "dog in a manger", and yet not quite... |
Hokkien | Literally means to be afraid of losing. Transliteration of the Chinese term "惊输". |
| Kiasi | Hokkien | Literally means to be afraid of dying. Used in the same manner as "kiasu". Transliteration of the Chinese term "惊死". |
| Kiam | Hokkien | Transliteration of the Chinese term "咸" (kiâm) which literally means "salty". Used to describe a stingy person. |
| Kope | Singlish | Means to copy from someone without permission. It may also mean to steal from someone. |
| Kopitiam | Malay and Hokkien | Literally means "coffee shop". "coffee shop" in Singapore refers to "food centre". From Hokkien 咖啡店 (ka-pi-thìam). |
| kiam pa | Hokkien | To describing the urge of whacking another individual due to his actions or looks. |
L
| Term | |Origin | |Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Lah | Singlish | Tagged at the end of a sentence as an exclamation but pronounced differently in questions. |
| La Sai | Singlish | means to "stir shit", or create trouble. |
| Lan Jiao | Hokkien | Chinese transliteration of "膦鳥" or "卵鳥" (lān-chiáu). Means guy's private part (crude). |
| Leh | Singlish | Tagged at the end of a sentence in a similar manner as "lah". Used to emphasize the sentence. |
| Liao | Hokkien/Chinese | Means "already" or "over". Sometimes used as a substitute for the "already" used in Singlish, especially by Chinese-speaking people. Chinese transliteration of 了 (liáo). |
| Lim Peh | Hokkien | Chinese transliteration of "恁伯" (lín peh). Literally means "your father". Used to refer to oneself when imposing one's authority on someone. |
| Long Bang | Hokkien/Chinese | Pronounced as long bar-ng, which is from Malay "tumpang". |
M
| Term | |Origin | |Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Mah | Mandarin | Usually tagged at the end of a question. |
| Macam | Malay | Like; Means to resemble something. |
| Makan | Malay | To eat. |
| Mampat | Malay | Tight/firm. Usually referring to a woman's posterior or clothing. |
| Masak-Masak | Malay | Child's play. "Masak" by itself refers to cooking. |
| Mata | Malay | Literally means "eye". Used as a reference to the police. |
| Mati | Malay | Literally means to die. "Die" in the Singapore context means to be doomed. |
| Merlion | English | To vomit. From "mermaid" and "lion", which form an iconic fountain in Singapore |
| Mong Cha Cha | Cantonese | To behave in a "blur" manner and be unaware of what is going on around. |
| Mug | English | To cram in as much as possible before a test. |
N
| Term | |Origin | |Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Ngeow | Hokkien | Literally means "cat". Transliteration of Chinese 貓 (niau). Used to describe someone who is overly meticulous or tries to find fault in everything. Can also be used to refer to someone stingy. |
| Neh Neh Pok | Hokkien | Commonly used to refer to nipples. May also refer to breasts although "Neh neh" normally refers to breasts. |
| Nia | Hokkien | Common used to depict the meaning of "only". It is of a belittling tone. |
O
| Term | |Origin | |Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Obiang | Unknown | Used to describe someone or something that is desperately out of fashion. Other variations include "orbit". |
| Orbi | Unknown | May be used as a single term or combined to form "orbi kwek" or "orbi good", which means "serves you right". |
| ORD | English | Short-form of "Operationally Ready Date", which refers to the date on which a National Serviceman completes his National Service. |
| ORD loh | Singlish | Army slang. An exclaim made by servicemen close to completing his two-year mandatory service term in the army to provoke jokingly his counterparts who have yet to see the end of their service terms. |
| Orh | English | Shortened from okay, meaning yes, understood. |
| O$P$ | Singlish | "Owe Money Pay Money". Used in threats from loan-sharks. From Chinese expression. |
P
| Term | |Origin | |Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Pang Sai | Hokkien | To shit. Chinese transliteration of "放屎" (pàng-sái). |
| Pang Seh | Hokkien | Hokkien slang for 'to be stood up (at an appointment), or cancelled upon at the last minute'=. Not to be confused with 'pang sai', which means 'to defecate'. |
| Pak Zamn | Hokkien | Literally means "needle injection". Used to describe something faulty or not usable. |
| Pariah | Indian/Hindi | Used to describe something unsightly or disgusting. Used to describe the lowest and most unsightly caste (gravediggers and sewerage in Ancient India). In modern times, it is also used to describe something or someone of low quality. |
| Pasar Malam | Malay | Refers to the night markets. |
| Pai Kia | Hokkien | Hokkien slang for "hooligan" or "gangster". Literally means "bad kid". From Hokkien 歹囝(pháiⁿ-kiáⁿ). Commonly used to scold kids who doesn't appreciate their parents. |
| Pai Seh | Hokkien | Means to be embarrassed. Usually used as an apology after making an embarrassing mistake. From Hokkien 歹勢 (pháiⁿ-sè). |
| Pak Tor | Cantonese/Hokkien | Dialect pronunciation of the Chinese slang term "拍拖" (POJ phoh-thua), which means to go on a date. |
| Photostat | English | To make a photocopy. |
| Pia | Hokkien | To work hard at something, or to rush something (such as homework). |
| Pon | Malay | (Short form of "Ponteng") To play truant (Want pon class today?). |
| Pok Kai | Cantonese | Means to go broke. Also used to curse people. |
| PRC | English | A Chinese national (abbreviation of "People's Republic of China"). Often used disparagingly. |
R
| Term | |Origin | |Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Return back | English | To give back. Direct translation from the Chinese phrase. |
| Revert | English | To reply. Often used in email and text messages. |
S
| Term | |Origin | |Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Sabo | Singlish | Short form of the English word "Sabotage" with the same meaning |
| Saman | Malay | Used for traffic summons. (Lit. "to fine/summon") |
| Sam Seng | Cantonese and Hokkien | or Sam Seng Kia (三牲囝, saⁿ-seng-kiáⁿ) - gangster. From Chinese term 三牲 (Hokkien saⁿ-seng). |
| Sargen | Singlish | Corruption of "sergeant". |
| Sakar | Malay | To flatter, to lick one's boots. Derived from Malay meaning 'sugar', which may have been derived from Hindi 'sakar' or 'Sakkar' meaning 'sugar' and 'sweet words', and ultimately from Persian 'shakar' meaning 'sugar', 'sweet'. |
| Sekali | Malay | Pronounced SCAR-ly. Lest, what if. |
| Shiok | Punjabi | Great! An expression of satisfaction. Originally "shauk" in Punjabi. |
| Showflat | English | An event held by an estate agency that spans several weeks to promote a housing project, usually condominiums. |
| Sia | Malay | An exclamation. |
| Siam | Hokkien | "Get out of the way!" Considered rude but effective. From Hokkien term 閃 (siám). |
| Sian | Hokkien | Bored, tired, or sick of something. From Hokkien (siān). |
| Siao | Hokkien | Refers to either "crazy" in response to a silly suggestion or an offensive term used to address a friend. From Hokkien 傻. Also refers to somebody who is a fanatic. "He Siao bicycles" is saying that someone is crazy about bicycles. |
| Sibeh | Hokkien | Similar to "very". From Hokkien 死父 (sí-pē). |
| Si Mi | Hokkien | "What?" From Hokkien term 甚物 (sím-mi̍h). Mandarin equivalent of 什么. |
| Si Mi Tai Dzi | Hokkien | "Si Mi" is translated from Chinese's "什么" and means "What" and when added to "Tai Dzi", it means "What's up?" |
| Sod | Cantonese | Used to express a machine, person, or object that has gone mental or haywire. |
| Song | Hokkien, Cantonese | Used to express pleasure. Lit. "refreshing". From Hokkien/Cantonese 爽 (sóng). Same meaning as Shiok. |
| Sotong | Malay | Forgetful or not knowing what is going on. Lit. "squid". |
| Stun | Singlish | To steal. See: Cope. Can be used as part of "Gostan". See: Gostan |
| Suaku | Hokkien | Not well informed or backward; a country bumpkin. From Hokkien 山龟 (soaⁿ-ku; lit. "mountain tortoise"). |
| Suay | Hokkien | Unlucky. From Hokkien 衰 (soe). |
T
| Term | |Origin | |Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Ta Pau | Cantonese | Take away (used only when cooked food is concerned). |
| Tau Pok | Chinese | Literally means 'fried tofu'. By students who throw themselves on one another, usually for fun. Special cases with vertical tau pok where a person gets squashed against the a vertical object, found in MRTs on a crowded day. |
| Tai Ko (also spelled "tyco") | Hokkien | Lucky (only used sarcarstically). Literally "leper". |
| Talk Cock/Tok Kok | Singlish | Talking nonsense/senselessly. Probably originated from the English expression "cock and bull story". |
| Taupok | Unknown | The art of stacking multiple people(usually men) on top of each other, done on the floor. |
| Tekan | Malay | Bully/Torture. Military slang for punishments. |
| Terbalek/Tombalek | Malay | Opposite/Upside-Down/Inside-Out. |
| Thiam/Diam | Hokkien/Malay | A very rude way of saying "shut up!" |
| Tio | Hokkein | To get. Usually used as a verb: He tio scolded by teacher. |
| Toot | Singlish | Stupid/Silly. |
| Tahan | Malay | Handle,commonly used as'I cannot tahan' which means'I can't handle. |
U
| Term | |Origin | |Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Un | Unknown | Abbreviation for understand. |
| Ulu | Malay | Used to describe a rural or remote area or county person. Commonly found in road names around Singapore as well. |
| Uncle | Singlish | Used as a generic title for males who are middle-aged or older, especially those who are not well acquainted. Similarly to auntie, used by young children to denote respect for a female adult
|
V
| Term | |Origin | |Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Very the | Singlish | Singlish phrase emphasising 'very', directly transliterated from the Chinese 非常的 (fēi cháng de), which means the same. Usually employed with a clearly sarcastic tone. |
W
| Term | |Origin | |Definition |
|---|---|---|
| walah/Wah Piang/Wah Seh/Wah Kao | Hokkien | Exclamation of shock. |
| White Horse | English | The son of a government official or other influential person. Term derives from the military practice of identifying such individuals during Basic Military Training with a stamp of a horse. |
| Womit | Singlish | Mispronunciation of "vomit". |
X
| Term | |Origin | |Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Xia Lan | Hokkien | Arrogant; egotistic; pretentious. |
| Xia Suay | Hokkien | Disgrace; embarrassment. |
Y
| Term | |Origin | |Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Your Head | Singlish | Mild curse used to disabuse someone of his or her erroneous assumption. Directly transliterated from Chinese "你的头". |
| Yandao | Hokkien | A handsome male. Transliteration of Hokkien term "緣投" (iân-tâu). |
Z
| Term | |Origin | |Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Zai | Hokkien | to be very good in something. |
| Zhun | Hokkien | Means accurate. From Hokkien 準 (chún). |
| Zhun Bo | Hokkien | From Hokkien 準無 (chún-bô). Literally means accurate or not. Means "Are you sure or not?" |
| Zi siao | Hokkien | means to disturb, ridicule or tease. From Hokkien term 恥笑 (thí-siâu). |
Food and beverages
Singlish is prominently used in local coffee shops, or kopitiamsKopi tiam
咖啡店A kopitiam or kopi tiam is a traditional breakfast and coffee shop found in Southeast Asia. The word is a portmanteau of the Malay word for coffee and the Hokkien dialect word for shop...
(the word is obtained by combining the Malay word for coffee and the Hokkien word for shop), and other eateries. Local names of many food and drink items have become Singlish and consist of words from different languages and are indicative of the multi-racial society in Singapore. For example, teh is the Malay word for tea which itself originated from Hokkien, peng is the Hokkien word for ice, kosong is the Malay word for zero to indicate no sugar, and C refers to Carnation
Carnation (trademark)
Carnation is a brand of food products. The brand was especially known for its evaporated milk product created in 1899, then called Carnation Sterilized Cream and later called Carnation Evaporated Milk...
, a brand of evaporated milk.
Food
Names of common local dishes in Singapore hawker centres are usually referred to in local dialect or language. However, as there are no English words for certain food items, the dialect terms used for them have slowly evolved into part of the Singlish vocabulary. Ordering in Singlish is widely understood by the hawkers. Some examples of food items which have become part of Singlish:| Term | |Origin | |Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Char Kway Teow | (Hokkien) | Fried flat rice noodles with bean sprouts, Chinese sausages, eggs and cockles, in black sweet sauce, with or without chilli. |
| Chwee Kuay | (Hokkien; 水粿) | cup shaped steamed rice flour Rice flour Rice flour is a form of flour made from finely milled rice. It is distinct from rice starch, which is usually produced by steeping rice in lye.... cakes topped with preserved vegetables (usually radish) and served with or without chilli |
| Hokkien char mee | (Hokkien/Fujian fried noodles; 福建炒麺) | Refers to the Kuala Lumpur Hokkien noodle. It is a dish of thick yellow noodles braised in thick dark soy sauce with pork, squid, fish cake and cabbage as the main ingredients and cubes of pork fat fried until crispy. |
| Hokkien hae mee | (Hokkien/Fujian prawn noodles; 福建蝦麺) | Refers to either the Penang prawn noodle or Singapore prawn noodle. Soup based (Penang) and stir fried (Singapore). Egg noodles and rice noodles with no dark soya sauce used.Prawn is the main ingredient with slices of chicken or pork, squid and fish cake. Kang Kong (water spinach) is common in the Penang version |
| Ice Kachang | Crushed ice with flavoured liquids poured into them. Beans and jelly are usually added as well. | |
| Kaya | (Malay) | Local jam mixture made of coconut, sugar and egg of Straits Chinese origins |
| Kaya-roti | (Malay) | Toasted bread with Kaya |
| Mee Goreng | (Chinese/Malay) | Malay fried noodles |
| Otah | (Malay) | Fish paste wrapped in banana leaf or coconut leaves and cooked over a charcoal fire. South East Asian influence - you can find similar versions in Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia |
| Popiah Popiah Popiah is a Fujian/Chaozhou-style fresh spring roll common in Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia. Popiah is often eaten in the Fujian province of China and its neighbouring Chaoshan on the Qingming Festival. In the Teochew dialect, popiah is pronounced as "Bo-BEE-a", which means "thin wafer"... |
(Hokkien) | Chinese spring rolls (non fried). Various condiments and vegetables wrapped in a flour skin with sweet flour sauce. Condiments can be varied, but the common ones include turnip, bamboo shoots, lettuce, Chinese sausage, prawns, bean sprouts, garlic and peanut. Origins from China. Hokkien and Straits Chinese (Nonya) popiah are the main versions. |
| Rojak | (Malay) | local salad of Malay origins. Mixture of sliced cucumber, pineapple, turnip, dried beancurd, Chinese doughsticks, bean sprouts with prawn paste, sugar, lotus buds and assam (tamarind). |
| Roti John | (Malay/English) | Indian version of western hamburger consisting of two halves of French loaves fried with egg and minced beef/mutton. Colonial origins. |
| Tze Char | (Hokkien; 煮炒, POJ chí-chhá) | Literally means cook and fry. General term for food served by mini restaurants in local hawker stalls serving restaurant style Chinese dishes, like fried noodles, sweet and sour pork, claypot tofu etc. |
Types of tea
| Term | |Origin | |Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Teh | (Hokkien/Malay) | Tea |
| Teh-O | (Hokkien) | Tea without milk but instead with sugar. From Hokkien 茶烏 (tê-o). |
| Teh-O-ice-limau | (Hokkien-English-Malay) | Home brewed iced lemon tea |
| Teh-C | (Hokkien/Malay-Roman alphabet) | Tea with evaporated milk. The C refers to the Carnation brand of evaporated milk. |
| Teh-cino | Milk layered with tea on top (similar to latte macchiato Latte macchiato Latte Macchiato is a coffee beverage, which literally means stained milk. This refers to the method of preparation, wherein the steamed "pure" white milk gets "stained" by the addition of espresso.- Related drinks :... ), though its name hints towards a tea version of cappuccino. |
|
| Teh-Peng | (Hokkien) | Tea with ice. From Hokkien 茶冰 (tê-peng). |
| Teh-Poh | Weak or thin tea. | |
| Teh-kosong | Plain Tea. | |
| Teh-kah-dai | Tea with more sugar and milk. | |
| Teh-siu-dai | ||
| Teh-pua seo | Luke-Warmed tea. | |
| Teh-O-kah-dai | Tea with more sugar. | |
| Teh-O-siu-dai | Tea with less sugar | |
| Teh-C-kah-dai | Tea with more milk. | |
| Teh-C-siu-dai | Tea with less milk. | |
| Teh-packet or Teh-pao | Tea to go. | |
| Teh-Tarik Teh tarik Teh tarik is a hot Malaysian tea beverage which can be commonly found in restaurants, outdoor stalls and kopi tiams in southeastern Asian country such as Malaysia. Its name is derived from the pouring process of "pulling" the drink during preparation... |
'Pulled' tea with milk, a Malay specialty. | |
| Teh-Halia Teh halia Teh halia is a tea beverage that is commonly consumed in Malaysia and Singapore. It is prepared like English tea with milk although it contains the added ingredient of ginger... |
Tea with ginger extract. | |
| Teh-Halia Tarik | Pulled tea with milk (tarik) and Ginger |
Types of coffee
These were said in these way when Singapore was with Malaysia, and Singaporeans need to learn these to get their coffee and tea correct.
| Term | |Origin | |Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Kopi | (Hokkien/Malay) Coffee | |
| Kopi-O | Coffee without milk | |
| Kopi-C | Coffee with evaporated milk. The C refers to the Carnation brand of evaporated milk. | |
| Kopi-Peng | (Hokkien) Coffee with ice. From Hokkien 咖啡冰 (ka-pi-peng). | |
| Kopi-packet or Kopi-pao | Coffee to go. | |
| Kopi-pua seo | Luke-Warmed coffee. | |
| Kopi-gao | Thick coffee. | |
| Kopi-poh | Weak or thin coffee. | |
| Kopi-kosong | Plain coffee. | |
| Kopi-kah-dai | Coffee with more milk. | |
| Kopi-siu-dai | Coffee with less milk. |
Other beverages
| Term | |Origin | |Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Bandung | (Malay) | Rose syrup-milk drink, of Indian origins. (Goat's milk was used in the old days) |
| Ice kosong | (English-Malay) | Iced water |
| Horlick-dinosaur | Iced Horlicks Horlicks Horlicks is the name of a company and of a malted milk hot drink. It is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline in the United Kingdom, South Africa, New Zealand, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Jamaica, and under licence in the Philippines and Malaysia.... with extra scoop of Horlicks powder on top |
|
| Horlick-sio | Hot Horlicks | |
| Horlick-peng | Iced Horlicks | |
| Milo-sio | Hot Milo Nestlé Milo Milo is a chocolate and malt powder which is mixed with hot or cold water and/or milk to produce a beverage which is popular in many parts of the world. Produced by Nestlé, Milo was originally developed by Thomas Mayne in Sydney, Australia in 1934... . |
|
| Milo-dinosaur | Iced Milo with extra scoop of undissolved Milo powder on top | |
| Milo-Peng | Iced Milo | |
| Tak Kiu | (Hokkien; | literally means football or soccer) Milo; Nestlé Milo often uses soccer and other sports as the theme of its advertisement. |
| Tak Kiu-Peng | Iced Milo | |
| Tiau Herr | (Hokkien; literally means fishing) | Tea with the tea bag. Reference to dipping of tea bag. From Hokkien 釣魚 (tiò-hî). |
The above list is not complete; for example, one can add the "-peng" suffix (meaning "iced") to form other variations such as Teh-C-peng (tea with evaporated milk and ice) which is a popular drink considering Singapore's warm weather.
English words with different meanings in Singlish
| Word | Meaning | Example/comment |
|---|---|---|
| follow | ||
| "Can follow anot?" | ||
| having here | to eat in at a restaurant | The antonym is "take away" or "tah-bao". |
| help, lah | please, do lend me a hand by desisting from whatever it is you are doing; help me out here | "Help lah, stop hitting on my sister" |
| last time | previously, in the past | "I last time want to go Africa, but now don't know 'ready." |
| lightbulb | to be caught in a situation between a couple. | "you two go ahead lah I don't want to be lightbulb." |
| mug | to study | Derived from British 'mug up'. Common expression amongst all students. Instead of 'He's mugging up...', locally used as 'He's mugging for...' (Not to be |
| marketing | going to the market or shops to buy food | Rare expression."My dad may help in the marketing side, by going to the market to get some things." |
| never | did not | "you never tell me" |
| next time | in the future | "Next time when you get married, you'll know how to cook." |
| on, off | to switch on/off | "I on the TV" |
| on ah | It's settled then? | |
| open | to turn on something | "I open the light." (Derived from Chinese, which uses the verb "to open" in this manner. Use of "open" to mean "turn on" is limited to electric appliances.) |
| pass up | to hand in | "Pass up your homework". Although once common, usage is now discouraged in schools. |
| revert | to get back (commonly used in business emails) | "Please revert your decision to us" doesn't mean "Please change your decision", but rather "Please get back to us with your decision". |
| send | to take (i.e. drive) somebody somewhere | "She gets her maid to send the boy in a cab." |
| solid/steady | capable; excellent | "Solid sia, that movie." See also "Kilat" |
| sabo | to play a trick on someone | Short for "sabotage", but with an everyday usage. - "Because he sabo me, now boss mad at me!" |
| stay | to live (in a place). | From Malay "tinggal". - "My grandmother, my aunt and uncle also stay next door." |
| steady | attached (in relationships) OR agreeing over something, usually over an appointment | "Eh u two steady liao ah?", "Today, come 3 o'clock? Steady."
|
| stone | to space out; to do nothing | - BAKED |
| take | to eat; to have a meal | "Have you taken your lunch? I don't take pork."
|
Expressions
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Blur like sotong | literally blur like a squid. To be extremely clueless. Squids squirt ink as a self-defence mechanism to get away. The ink makes it hard to see, thus "blur". - "Wah! You damn blur leh! Liddat also dunno!" |
| Don't fly my kite/aeroplane | Rare expression. A Singlish expression which means 'Please do not go back on your word' or 'Please do not stand me up' |
| Don't play play! | Uncommon expression, popularised by the local comedy series Phua Chu Kang Pte Ltd. Used only to evoke humour. Means 'Don't fool around' or 'Better take things seriously' |
| Got problem ah? | an aggressive, instigatory challenge. Or an expression of annoyance when someone is disturbed. 'Do you have a problem?' |
| He still small boy one | a remark (Often offensive) made against someone who is not of a legally median age allowed by the law. Or expression used to excuse someone because he is either immature or still too young to know the difference. |
| Issit/Izzit? | lazy/bastardised form of "is it?" Used in various contexts, to question in both positive and negative forms, or as a response in a rhetorical quizzical manner. E.g.: You going home now issit? E.g.: You not going home issit? E.g.: Someone comments: "You look good today." Answer: "Issit??" |
| Last time policemen wear shorts! | a retort made to someone who refers to how policies were made in the past. Or in response to something which is passe. Or to brush aside old references or nostalgia. Direct reference to the British colonial police forces who wore three-quarter khaki pants in the 1950s and 60's. |
| Liddat oso can!? | (English - Like that also can?) In response to feats of achievement or actions which are almost impossible, or unexpected. Usually with tinge of awe, sarcasm or scepticism. |
| My England not powderful! | (English - My English is not powerful (good)) Uncommon expression, used only to evoke humour. Literally means 'My English is not good'. |
| no fish prawn oso can | accepting a lesser alternative (direct translation of the Hokkien idiom "bo hir hay mah hoh.") |
| Not happy, talk outside! | Used as a challenge to a fight to settle an argument, by taking it outside. (Hokkien: Ow buay gong (settle it at the back/alley way)) |
| No horse run! | (Hokkien - 無馬走, POJ bô bé cháu) Original Hokkien expression used in horse racing jargon to describe a champion horse which is way ahead of the field. Used to describe things (food usually) which are ahead of its peers. |
| On lah!/On!/Set! | "It's on!"; expression used to voice enthusiastic agreement or confirmation (of an arranged meeting, event etc.) |
| Relak lah! | (Malay-English for Relax) Expression used to ask someone to chill, cool it. |
| ..then you know! | Expression used at the back of a sentence to emphasise consequence of not heeding advice. 'Tell you not to park double yellow line, kena summon then you know!' |
| Why you so liddat ar? | (English - Why are you so "like that"?) 'an appeal made to someone who is being unreasonable.' |
| You think, I thought, who confirm? | army expression used during organisational foul ups. Generally used as a response to "I thought..." when something goes wrong. |
| You want 10 cent? | Means to "buzz off!" Refers to public phones that require 10 cents per call. |
| Your grandfather's place/road ah?, Your father own this place/road? | Used to cut someone down to size in terms of their obnoxious boorish behaviour, behaving as if they owned the place. |
| You play where one? | Used to challenge someone to state his gang affiliations (if any) |