tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post2384522083187124264..comments2023-10-09T13:33:24.033-07:00Comments on Aussie Pete: SINGLISH - A Language Guide for ForeignersAussie Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04893185575367843149noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-3595510940241115272016-06-07T01:35:17.019-07:002016-06-07T01:35:17.019-07:00tok kok could also have come from the hokkien term...tok kok could also have come from the hokkien term 'gong jiao wei' which means 'talking bird language'. 造句: you bought iphone9 for $400? Mai gong jiao wei la!<br /><br />Anyway ah, your list is very comprehensive. Kudos for compiling it! Kilat sia!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06400562303254717631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-27822685717838553102016-06-07T01:06:46.251-07:002016-06-07T01:06:46.251-07:00'tok kok' could also have come from the ho...'tok kok' could also have come from the hokkien term 'gong jiao wei' which means 'talking bird language'. 造句: you bought your iphone10 for $400? mai gong jiao wei la.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06400562303254717631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-85328022560384766192016-04-23T07:47:33.297-07:002016-04-23T07:47:33.297-07:00Don't forget "paiseh" or, in written...Don't forget "paiseh" or, in written form, just "ps". It means embarrassed. Eg "Walao eh just now I screwed up my presentation! Damn ps sia!"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-47424332037338656682016-02-13T00:10:53.814-08:002016-02-13T00:10:53.814-08:00"Ai Pee Ai Chee Ai Tua Liap Nee" is slig..."Ai Pee Ai Chee Ai Tua Liap Nee" is slightly erroneous.<br /><br />Ai Pee = Want Cheap<br />Ai Chee = Want fresh<br />Ai Tua Liap Nee = want big breasts.<br /><br />Other than that, not bad :) <br /><br />Also, the "lah" in your sentence "not my intention lah!" sounds funny. Would have sounded better if it was "not my intention hor!". The "lah" is not a universal suffix - it has the capacity to change the meaning of the entire sentence :) That's why sometimes we cringe when well-meaning non-speakers add "lahs" all over their sentences trying to fit in... it just sounds... weird.FoxTwohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10664765352116571678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-50003787153738636552016-01-14T00:10:52.427-08:002016-01-14T00:10:52.427-08:00Wow, your list is spot on. Very geng for an angmoh...Wow, your list is spot on. Very geng for an angmoh! I couldnt stop laughing and cringing at the same time. My angmoh bf need to read thisAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-60466854641204231852015-11-17T17:48:56.821-08:002015-11-17T17:48:56.821-08:00Cute singlish graphic for learning! http://blackpe...Cute singlish graphic for learning! http://blackpepperart.blogspot.sgSalt and Pepperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04131178214383084407noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-59959395252482633742015-09-18T21:32:33.915-07:002015-09-18T21:32:33.915-07:00Can anyone explain meaning of "chut pattern&q...Can anyone explain meaning of "chut pattern"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-40897555165476594722015-06-21T00:21:28.566-07:002015-06-21T00:21:28.566-07:00Pretend only- en expression to imply putting up a ...Pretend only- en expression to imply putting up a false image/ front/ action<br />"He open his textbook in front of him to study but keeps texting on the phone. Pretend only." <br /><br />or<br />"He says he will help me with the project, in the end also never. Just fly kite and pretend only."<br /><br />Posing- to mean trying to be flamboyant/ attractive/ fashionable in a distasteful way. Noun: poser<br />"For nothing he just start talking to everyone in British accent, trying to act atas. Super poser."<br /><br />For nothing- to mean for no good reason.<br />"He scolded me for nothing"<br /><br />Atas- to mean expensive, or describe a person as prone to an extravagant lifestyle.<br />"This is a damn atas restaurant"<br />or "Jack is damn atas lah, he takes cab everywhere, cannot take MRT one."<br /><br />Ninja- verb, (with reference to ancient Japanese ninja warriors" to stealthily move from one place to another<br />"The gate is locked, so I had to ninja in"<br /><br />Smoke- verb, to try to impress someone or cover up for ignorance or a mistake by eloquently talking around a topic and feigning great knowledge.<br />"He didn't prepare for the presentation so he was just smoking"<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-85350480142530499952015-06-21T00:20:56.881-07:002015-06-21T00:20:56.881-07:00You should include
"Wah lao"- singlish ...You should include <br />"Wah lao"- singlish expression- an opening to a sentence to emphasise dismay, distress.<br />e.g. Wah lao eh! the weather damn hot lah!<br /><br />Wah lao is also synonymous with Wah Lan- but Wah Lan conveys a greater sense of dismay, and has a vulgar connotation. <br />"Wah Lan eh f*** this shit seriously"<br /><br />Kenna Sai- literally "like shit" to mean 1. a low standard or 2. an expression to exclaim/ mean distress/ dismay.<br /><br />e.g His Singlish standard is like kenna sai lah.<br />or<br />Kenna sai! He simply dumped all his work on me and left.<br /><br />can be combined with walao eh: "Wa lao eh, Kenna sai! He simply dumped all his work on me and left lah."<br /><br />"zherng" - singlish verb to mean improve on an existing work; commonly used for reports and documents, e.g. "Can you go and Zherng the Performance report"<br /><br />"AA"- short form to mean attracting attention, a negative term to describe someone as flamboyant or tying too hard to stand out<br />e.g "Wa lao that guy damn AA lah, trying to get the gal's attention or what?"<br /><br />Or what- an expression used at the end of a sentence to emphasise that something must be the case, and to invite an opinion that may disagree with the statement: e.g. "He is trying to be the top of the class or what?" Reply: "No lah, he is just hardworking nia."<br /><br />"Nia"- a local term to mean "only"<br />E.g. HE not that smart one la, whole day mug nia.<br /><br />"Peng San"- Hokkien, literally mean faint. Usually used to mean that someone suffered greatly in a difficult situation.<br />"Wa lan eh, boss today conduct meeting from 9am to 2pm, I hungry until peng san sia."<br /><br />"sia lah"- to mean "wow"- "Sia lah, he bought a Mercedes Benz!"<br /><br />Dua Neh BU- Hokkien, a degratory term meaning "Big breast woman", may be used to imply someone who only uses her looks/ assets to ascend the social ladder<br />e.g. That dua neh bu whole day do nothing, flirt with boss only also can get bonus<br /><br />Lum Pa Pa Lan- Hokkien, literal meaning is penis bouncing back and forth against the inner thigh, to mean "to seem to do a lot with little result." <br />"He study whole day still fail exam, lum pa pa lan"<br /><br />Gia lai gia ki- this is difficult to pronounce- Hokkien literally meaning "walking here and walking there" an expression to mean someone trying to get by without doing much.<br />"That dua neh bu whole day gia lai gia ki, pretend to do work only"<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-46004819175558752782015-04-15T08:46:55.486-07:002015-04-15T08:46:55.486-07:00just to clarify (as i authored the first book, Eh ...just to clarify (as i authored the first book, Eh Goondu, on singlish, you can still buy it in singapore).<br />"chim-chim" is "kiss-kiss" whereas "cheem" is "very deep" as in intense and difficult to comprehend.<br />sylvia toh paik choofrigidboneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10714582637228129814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-7421613215021039672014-10-13T21:05:16.598-07:002014-10-13T21:05:16.598-07:00Huat actually means rich.Huat actually means rich.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-48975734952121998092014-09-20T16:27:15.258-07:002014-09-20T16:27:15.258-07:00Not sure how I chanced upon your site but this is ...Not sure how I chanced upon your site but this is a really cool list. I've been a resident for 22 years now and I've been enamoured by Singlish since. I will say that Singlish is unique and is not the same as Manglish, the Malaysian equivalent which incorporates a lot more Malay and Tamil words while Singlish has a dominant Hokkien flavour. There is a phrase that's fairly new, I hadn't heard of it when I first arrived 2 decades ago, "Wake up your idea". I'm not too sure what it means. I'm guessing that it's a call to think out of the box or something similar? And about the accent, you have to drop your consonants and place your emphasis differently or the locals won't understand you especially when you're referring to names of places like Lavender, Tyersall, or Outram. The hokkien lilt is definitely what you'd want to achieve. While we're on the subject, you have to include Lulian (Durian) for the Esplanade in your list.<br />Regards <br />ChrisAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-86375658418940800832014-04-21T08:27:00.965-07:002014-04-21T08:27:00.965-07:00This is in response to Regards Thomas query.
Unfo...This is in response to Regards Thomas query.<br /><br />Unfortunately, none of your proposed names appeal immediately. Perhaps 'free' could be used somewhere. Singaporeans love anything that is free.<br /><br />Depending on what your website entails and its target market, 'chope' gives me the impression that it's a reservation service of some sort.<br /><br />'Liao', 'liao mah', 'lo' makes me think of finality. That one has arrived at a destination.<br /><br />'Stylo' evokes a fashion website or chic places to hang out at in Sydney.<br /><br />I suggest 'Sydney so Shoik!' if it is a touristy website touting cafes, restaurants, bars and clubs and such.<br /><br />And that's just my 2-cents' worth.<br /><br />Cheers!Village Idiotnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-46592956897235262712014-03-12T17:34:45.004-07:002014-03-12T17:34:45.004-07:00Hi Singlish experts :)and Thx Aussie Pete for the ...Hi Singlish experts :)and Thx Aussie Pete for the post- I wanted to pls ask your feedback on an idea. Im wanting to run a website advertising to appeal to Singaporeans travelling to another country say Sydney Australia - Would one of these phrases appeal to a Singaporean as a compamny name - or just not work as a headline at all lol?<br />Sydney chope<br />Sydney liao<br />Sydney liao mah<br />Sydney liao ma<br />Sydney lo<br />Sydney Stylo<br />what do you think team - which is the best Regards Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-75284082523419622812014-03-06T10:33:13.140-08:002014-03-06T10:33:13.140-08:00Here's an oft-heard phrase:
"Newspaper g...Here's an oft-heard phrase:<br /><br />"Newspaper got say……….."<br /><br />(Note the singular.) <br /><br />A transliteration of a Hokkein phrase meaning "According to a report in the newspapers……." or "As reported in a newspaper………"<br /><br />(As though everything that is reported in the newspapers in the gospel truth!)<br /><br />:-)<br />Village Idiotnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-64133175845583888072014-02-22T06:17:58.276-08:002014-02-22T06:17:58.276-08:00Haha - brilliant, thanks anon - yeh I've heard...Haha - brilliant, thanks anon - yeh I've heard 'chim-chim' ;p<br /><br />U are absolutely spot on with your observation - I find myself confirming with 'can' often these days (even have it in the blog tag line). So yes - I should include it - can, can... Double confirm :)<br />Aussie Petehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04893185575367843149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-75236274196823043392014-02-22T06:15:05.403-08:002014-02-22T06:15:05.403-08:00Welcome to this beautiful island ;)Welcome to this beautiful island ;)Aussie Petehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04893185575367843149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-22673974329501025032014-02-22T06:14:16.940-08:002014-02-22T06:14:16.940-08:00Hi anon, my friend - not sure what point u're ...Hi anon, my friend - not sure what point u're trying to make? Maybe u could elaborate - interestingly, my two boys (both born here in SG) speak flawless singlish :)Aussie Petehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04893185575367843149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-26307640056173422252014-02-22T05:11:40.265-08:002014-02-22T05:11:40.265-08:00Jolly good job, Aussie Pete. You've compiled ...Jolly good job, Aussie Pete. You've compiled a very comprehensive list indeed.<br /><br />Here's a word I noticed that is not included:<br /><br />*Can<br /><br />meaning yes or affirmation or in agreement<br /><br />A: "Want to go to a movie tonight?"<br />B: "Can!"<br />A: "Or you want to go chim-chim in SGH carpark?"<br />B: "Also can!"<br /><br />*Chim-chim was commonly used years ago to mean sexual foreplay such as kissing, necking or fondling. Not been heard for a while.Village Idiotnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-40952794108965242592014-02-14T19:57:43.997-08:002014-02-14T19:57:43.997-08:00I just moved to Singapore. I find this guide very ...I just moved to Singapore. I find this guide very amusing, though I haven't heard most of the stuff up there.....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-8431955639990046792014-02-12T18:51:38.358-08:002014-02-12T18:51:38.358-08:00I know that the expat (angmoh) here in Singapore d...I know that the expat (angmoh) here in Singapore do speak Singlish just for the fun of it with their Singaporeans. So Aussie Pete there is no need for you to get so work up on Singlish spoken by Singapore. Don't try act like "angmoh".Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-604579861347252232014-01-11T00:18:44.051-08:002014-01-11T00:18:44.051-08:00is in malay too much java person? cause garang is ...is in malay too much java person? cause garang is java language. if you not trust at me you can search information in Dutch government library. there is an old java dictionary Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-80499835437772528832013-12-29T00:42:27.403-08:002013-12-29T00:42:27.403-08:00Here's another one for you.
"Just now&qu...Here's another one for you.<br /><br />"Just now" - an occurrence that has happened previous to now.<br /><br />This one really confuses me sometimes. But I have to turn my internal Singaporean dictionary on whenever I talk to people back home.<br /><br />It's like when I'm looking for someone, and someone else says, "Yah, I saw Sam at his desk just now"... which could very well mean Sam was at his desk 5 minutes to even an hour ago.<br /><br />It never EVER means "right now".StillSingaporeannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-32379553702838793222013-08-21T05:39:34.130-07:002013-08-21T05:39:34.130-07:00Hi judsjotting, is the word you want "ya"...Hi judsjotting, is the word you want "ya"? It is the malay word for "yes" if I am wrong (I'm a Chinese Singaporean). But in actual fact, there are many alternatives to "yes" in everyday conversations. If I want to be more friendly, I say "yup/yep", if I feel "sian" (tired) I would say "yeah...". There are also words like "Uh huh" and also a particularly nasal "mm mm" (not too sure about the spelling).<br /><br />I'm really glad that you express great interest in our colloquial language and such are the type of foreigners that we Singaporeans welcome. Do come back to Singapore in the future!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3734902152162231132.post-9935405650713085832013-08-17T06:02:39.439-07:002013-08-17T06:02:39.439-07:00"Bodek" also can be used. Or "lick ..."Bodek" also can be used. Or "lick 'someone's' shoe"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com