Singlish Dictionary I

ah then? in other words, "isn't it obvious". A rhetorical question used to express disgust at the listener's stupidity in grasping the obvious. EG Ah Mao: Go World Trade Centre can take bus 61 meh... Ah Kow: Ah then? Of cos lah!

arrow to be given a task by your superior that you don't want to do. Can also mean that you have been allocated a task in your absence EG Wah lau! My boss "arrow" me to do this job. I very pek chek... "You sabo king! Just because I never come for meeting you arrow me to do this report!"

bak chew tah stamp/sai which literally means "eye stuck with a stamp/smeared with shit". Connotative meaning is "very blind." EG Wah liao ayy! His girlfriend so argly(ugly), bakchew tah stamp... She so happening! He like tek ko she really bakchew tah sai!

bo eng lah! not free or can't be bothered. EG Aiyoh! So many things to do. Go bowling? Boh eng lah!

borrow me commonly used by Singaporeans of the Ah-beng and Ah-lian species. It means "lend" and is usually used in the context of a request. EG Ah-Beng: Eh, my Brylcream don't know go where. Can you borrow me your hairgel?

buey tah han cannot take the pressure or cannot solve problem. EG Student 1: "Wahlaoeh, this exam I really buey tah han it ah. So many questions i don't know." Student 2: Yah lor... I also want to bengsan already.

can often used to praise someone for something specific. EG Ah-Kow: you so fast finish your homework already har. You very the can, man! It can also be used without "the". EG "Wah, you very can!"

catch no ball! don't understand. EG Can you repeat that again? I catch no ball leh!

cham siong to compromise (usually to get out of trouble). EG Ah Lian to an ow ka (traffic police) who is giving her a ticket: "Why like that, can cham siong or not?"

cher a quick way of calling "teacher". Most prominently heard from secondary school students. EG Student A: Cher cher! Can I go to the loo?

chiminology to describe difficult words such that one cannot understand. EG Ah Beng: "Ooi! What you say I don't understand lah, stop using those chiminology can or not!" Ah Sheng: "When writing must use some chiminology, then teacher will think that I am very educated mah."

diam an english equivalant would be 'be quiet!' EG Diam Diam! You had better be good or mummy will butcher you. Diam Diam is the same as Diam, except it is more serious.

dom pang usually used as an expression to request a favour from someone who might be going your way.EG My bicycle broke down today, can dom pang your car to work today or not... Since you are going out for lunch, can I dom pang you to buy me some cheeken lice (rice)?

fli-end the Singaporean equivalent of buddy or mate, or it can be used by kids to mean 'befriend'. EG Fli-end, you better not come round here anymore or else I wah-lap you... If you fliend Ah kaw then I don't fliend you

hao lian vain beyond belief. EG mai hao lian lah! who's going to look at you?

jia lat! very serious; prefixed with see-peh; to make it even more serious. EG jia-lat man! Exam this time sure fail one.

jheelo (or gero) "zero" mispronounced. EG Parent yelling at his son "how come you get jheelo for this test!"

jude it's a word commonly used by buayas (color wolf). No known sources where it is from. Its actual meaning is pretty or rather sweet in description of a girl (female human being). EG "Look there!!!!!! you see that girl walking across the Atrium, wah-lau damn jude man !!!!"

kan-cheong to be hurried, flustered, uptight. EG The MRT door heaven open yet, you so kan-cheong for whaaaat... Now only April, November then exam, why so kan-cheong?

ke chia up the lorry, literally. Other meaning: Die!!! EG Wah-piang eh! Tomorrow got test leh, haven't prepare yet, so ke chia!!!

kena sai literally, "to be stained by shit". Is used to comment that a person has done something to thoroughly embarass/disgrace himself EG Wah liaow! His singing so terok but still action on stage, reallykena sai, man!

lem bek to be laggi weak physically. (Warning: Could be sexually offensive so pls be lem bek just this once - use with care!) EG Aiyoh ! Why he everything cannot do one..so lembek!

lerf love. EG Darling ah.....I lerf you for-efer you know? Donch leaf me hor?

on the ball to decribe a person for exceptionally hardworking. EG Why you so on the ball, spoil the market.

or biang meaning ugly, especially for ah-lian/ah-beng category of people EG Wah lau, your sister really look or biang, man.

orbit out of fashion. EG Wah your clothes velly orbit sia!

pai-seh apologetic with embarassment and some shyness! EG Today you pay for dinner again huh, so pai seh... "Eh, Ah Seng fart in the lift one -- not scared of pai seh!"

pa-jiao literal translation: beat bird. Can be dirty at time, so be careful of its usage. English equivalent :Blind EG "Look at the plane in the sky!" "Where?" "You pa-jiao one is it?! There!!" "Oh, there..."

sa kah to flatter someone, get into someone's good side EG I know you are want to get good grades, but for goodness sake, not sa kah until like that lah!

sart so shiok you feel almost invincible. EG Wah! You very sart, ah! Win lottery now can spend! Can lend me money or not?

see-buay english translation : very. Usually used by trueblue singaporeans to replace the "colonial scums'" word , VERY. This highly versatile replacement can be used in almost any sentence which requires the word, very. Best used with other singlish words, like siong, sian, jar lat,etc... EG Wah lau!! That 5bx see-buay siong ah!!! Can die... Miss Chin's philo lecture see-buay sian! Almost hung myself!!! Even though this wonderful word is fairly versatile, new users should be warned that there are some instances where a replacement may be inappropiate. For example, see-buay euphonious just doesn't kick!

see gin nah "see" meaning die in hokkien "gin nah" meaning children or kids in hokkien. Used to scold someone who got you in trouble, sabo you, did you injustice or just simply irritates you! EG "see gin nah, you. Try to be funny right? Wait till I get my hands on you."

seik bai mission failed. Usually used to describe a failure or loser. EG Sooo simple job also cannot do you relly seik bai no.

siao liao crazy, out of his mind EG I think he siao liao, so on for what? Never ask you to do you still go and do!! Also used before or after 'disaster'. A.k.a. die lah! EG This time siao liao! Got assignment to hand in tomorrow still haven't do!

solid sia simply great, superb! EG Ah Mao: "Did you watch the football match last night?" Ah Kow: "Got lar! That Abbas Saad dem_solid siah! That beautiful goal he kicked in saved the Lions man!"

spoil the market raise the standard (of something) to an unacceptably high level. EG His project do until so solid ... spoil the market only!

swa-koo mountain tortise (literally). Someone that is not well informed or not knowledgeable. EG What! Aiyah, sooo simple you also don't know. So very swah-ku one!

tok kong very good or very solid. EG You see her legs..Tok Gong man !

tum-sim greedy. You know that you're tum-sim when: 1.You buy $1.50 rojak and ask for all tow-pok and yew char kuay. 2.You pay $80 for a trip to Phuket and demand they serve lobsters. 3.You don't pay attention to discounts less than 40%. 4.You will buy 12 ovaltines to get 1 free. (And redeem the gift hankerchief at the counter) 5.You rent out your 3-bedroom apartment to 12 people. 6.Your picture is hung at the Marina seafood center with the words do not admit" embossed on it. 7.Your income tax returns is $1.27 and you insist the government should sell you Telecoms shares at a discount. 8.You pay 60 cents for a bus trip from Mandai to Pasir Ris. 9.You want to pay $10 for a COE and expect the road to have no traffic jams. 10.You bought a $4.50 T-shirt from Chinatown and ask for a written warranty.

wah piang what the heck (similiar to wah lau). Said when the person is frustrated. EG wah piang eh! So s-way ah. Why I always kanna tekan?

wenlah "won't lah!" mispronounced. Expression which implies that something will not happen. EG A: "Hey, do you think it will rain?" B: "Aiyah, wenlah!"

xiam (or si-am) to mean get out of the way or having avoided something unpleasant. EG Xiam! Xiam! Shio ah! (use by the hawker... Neng tiao (officer) call seow eh wash toylet. Wa boh kenna, xiam tiok see pei heng ah!

Z-monster an army term used with relation to being sleepy. (Notice how the ZZZZzzzz comes from pple who sleep...) EG SGT: "Recruit, cannot fight the Z-monster, right?" Recruit: "No!! SGT!" SGT: "Ne'ber mind, go and support the wall".

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