Our daily speech used to be peppered with these Singlish phrases. Here are 20 of our favorite ones.
1. Ponteng
What it means: To play truant.
How it’s used: Want to pon school today?
2. Sabo
What it means: To sabotage
How it’s used: I don’t want to go for that meeting. You don’t sabo me ah.
3. Yaya Papaya
What it means: Show off or arrogant
How it’s used: He is damn yaya papaya.
4. Steady
What it means: Yes, let’s do it. Or it could also mean asking someone to be your boyfriend/girlfriend.
How it’s used: 1. A: Let’s go eat chili crab. B: Steady. 2. Boy: Want to go steady?
5. Abothen
What it means: What else? Often used sarcastically.
How it’s used: A: Do chickens lay eggs? B: Abothen.
6. Kan Cheong Spider
What it means: Someone who is always nervous or uptight.
How it’s used: You still have one month, why you worrying now? So kan cheong spider.
7. Blur Sotong
What it means: A clueless person.
How it’s used: You’re such a blur sotong! Show you so many times already still don’t know.
8. Obiang
What it means: Really outdated, especially fashion
How it’s used: Why you go and buy this bag? So obiang.
9. Lobang
What it means: It’s a Malay word and directly translates to gap or hole. In Singlish, it means tips or clues or contacts.
How it’s used: I’m looking for a good property agent. You got lobang?
10. Kayu
What it means: Silly or unintelligent
How it’s used: Why is he so kayu? Show him so many times already, he still do it wrong.
11. Bao Toh
What it means: To tell on someone
How it’s used: I saw A stealing B’s food. Should I bao toh him?
12. Alamak
What it means: Oh no or Oh my god
How it’s used: Alamak, I forgot to buy food for my mom.
13. Goondu
What it means: Idiot
How it’s used: Why you so goondu?
14. Tai Ko
What it means: Lucky; a fluke
How it’s used: Ali gets a lucky shot when playing soccer. His team mates would describe that lucky shot as tai ko.
15. Cheem
What it means: Very profound, hard to understand
How it’s used: I don’t understand what you’re taking about, very cheem.
16. Orbi
What it means: Serves you right
How it’s used: A: Ouch, the parrot bit me. B: Orbi, who ask you to poke him?
17. Sekali
What it means: What if
How it’s used: Let’s bring an umbrella with us. Sekali rain then how?
18. Tom Ba Lek
What it means: Upside down or inside out
How it’s used: How come his shirt is tom ba lek?
19. Stylo Milo
What it means: A very stylish person
How it’s used: Wah, she very stylo milo ah.
20. Action
What it means: Show Off
How it’s used: Don’t so action can?
