Word of the day, Monday, 9 November
jom
Malay for 'let's go!', the universal invite. Also spelt jum.
“Jom makan!”
Malay
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.