Word of the day, Sunday, 8 November
podah
Tamil for 'go away!', used jokingly to tell a friend off. Also poda.
“Podah, don't disturb me!”
Tamil
Manglish, defined by Malaysians
Look up the slang we really speak, vote on the best meaning & share je lah.
Hot this week
See all words- tunggu kejapMalay for 'wait a moment'. Often shortened to kejap or jap.
- tak bolehMalay for cannot. 'Tak boleh tahan' means can't stand it.
- BaraiSomething that is broken, ruined, exhausted, or worn out.
- SelambaGenerally means acting cool, unbothered, nonchalant, or poker-faced. (also spelled selamber)
- lahThe king of Manglish particles. Tacked onto the end of a sentence to soften it, stress it, or just make it sound Malaysian. Also spelt la, …
- lorShows resignation or that something is obvious, like 'well, that's how it is'. Also spelt loh.
- lehAdds a soft, slightly pleading or tentative tone, or gently pushes back on something.
- mehTurns a sentence into a doubtful or surprised question, like 'really?' or 'is that so?'.
- mahMeans 'it's obvious lah' and is used when giving a reason that should have been clear. Also spelt ma.
- liaoFrom Hokkien, meaning 'already', or that something is finished or done for.
Where our slang comes from
Speak like a local, one sentence at a time
Fresh from the kopitiam
Add yours- Turun PadangIn Malaysian slang and casual conversation, "turun padang" means "to pull up" "show up" or "get hands-on".
- pisangPisang literally means "banana," but colloquially it is used to describe feeling extremely bored, mentally exhausted, or having nothing to …
- MenyalaLiterally means "blazing" or "on fire". Meaning "you're shining," "you're glowing," or used as high praise/encouragement for someone lookin…
- kecekKecek is a Malay word that primarily means to speak, talk, or chat, most famously used as a core verb in the Kelantanese dialect.
- hok alohIt translates roughly to "alahai", "aduhai", or English expressions of mild surprise, exasperation, disbelief, or annoyance like "oh man", …
- kacipBorak kacip or sembang kacip generally means yapping, talking nonsense, rambling, making disconnected or erratic conversation.
- KepamTo describe damp or poorly dried item (often described as bau kepam, hapak, or masam).
- BaraiSomething that is broken, ruined, exhausted, or worn out.