Singaporean words. can someone please translate it for me? thank you?
hello. i was reading a really sad love story which i believe is set in Singapore. Some of these words came up in the character's dialog, so can somebody pls help me in understanding these expressions?
thank you so much!
1.slorr
2.liao - liaoz
3.leh (example "can't sleep.. u leh")
4.is there a singaporean term "sad"??
5. ya lor... so qiao
6. lah (example "u talking nonsense lah...")
7. siao liaoz
8. mah ("but these all very romantic mah...")
9. 'nan ren bu huai, nu ren bu ai'
10. daoing ("are you just daoing me")
11. chio ( "I m wondering y is the sky so chio tonight? ..")
12. abuden
2007-01-06 22:16:59 · 3 answers · asked by gailtsr 1 in Travel ➔ Asia Pacific ➔ Singapore
I'm from Malaysia so certain terms are quite similiar, I'll try, here goes:-
1. -Not too sure-
2. liao - Something added behind a sentence, meaning 'already'. E.g. I have eaten liao (I have already eaten), it's a slang
3. leh - Goes behind a question as an extention. E.g I can't sleep, u leh? (I can't sleep, you?)
4. Sad = sad
5. ya lor...so qiao = Yeah it is...(sorry don't know what's qiao)
6. lah = A Singaporean/Malaysian slang used at the end of the sentence. E.g You talking nonsense lah (You are talking nonsense)
7. Siao liaoz = Siao liao. The "z" is sometimes added behind 'liao' teenagers. Makes it look hipper I suppose. Anyway Siao liao means (Crazy already)
8. Mah = same as "lah" E.g (I thought we're going shopping mah)
9. Not too sure as this is in Mandarin, but I think it means "If boys are not naughty, girls would not fall in love"
10. Don't know
11. chio = beautiful/sport!
12. Abuden = same as the english term "duh"
Hope that helps
2007-01-06 22:34:06 · answer #1 · answered by sugarscamp 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Let me help you if I can
1. I will take this word as "Lor":
This is a suggestive type of ending or to discontinue the sentence in a friendly way...
E.g. You go down there to shop lor
(Why don't you go there and shop?)
A: What are you doing?
B: Eating lor...
(I'm eating, can't you see?)
Teens have their own usages for this ending
E.g What the **** lor!!)
(What the **** man!!)
Many others usages for you to explore =)
2. Liao
Literally means "Already" or it can be used as something has already happened...
E.g. I record in the book liao
(I have recorded it in the book)
(I recorded it in the book already)
3. Leh
It can be used to form a question or just use it as an answer... If someone use this, he wants a reply from a person... Similiar to the Korean ending "는데(Neun Deh)"
A: I am going to Starbucks later, you leh?
(I am going to Starbucks later, how about you?)
B:I will be meeting with my parents later
4. I don't think so...
5. **Explained in 1**
Qiao = Coincidence in Mandarin
6. Lah
Singaporeans use this ending to end the sentence in a polite way most of the time...
"Similiar to 요(yo) in Korean in some sense"
A: What are you doing?
B: Doing my work lah
It can also be used angrily...
A: Can you hurry up??
B: I am still putting on my makeup lah!
There are many ways of using the ending "lah"... Again, it is for you to explore =)
7. Siao Liao = Oh man!!
This is crazy!!
Doomed!!
Siao literally means "crazy" in Hokkien.
8. Mah
This ending has 2 uses...
To be used in a question in a polite manner...
Do like that can mah?
(Can we do it like that?)
P.S. This ending is mostly used in Chinese-English Direct Translation sentences... It will sound awkward if you use a full British sentence with this ending...
It can also be used to suggest something...
A: I think I will remove that decoration.
B: Why? That decoration nice mah...
9. Nan ren bu huai, nu ren bu ai
It is a Chinese Idiom... Which means "Good girls go for the bad guys"
Literally means: "If guys are not naugthy, girls will not love them."
10. Dao
To "dao" someone is to ignore someone, it can be used as a noun or a verb
A: Don't dao me can?
(Don't ignore me, okay?)
B: He is damn dao lah!
(He is damn arrogant, man!)
11. Chio
"Chio" means "Beautiful" in Hokkien...
12. Abuden
Same as the American's "Duh"
A: I have to fill in my name in the particulars right?
B: Abuden(Duh)
Most of the endings has a tone in it... If you used the wrong tone, you will mean a different thing... So it's best to listen how Singaporeans use the different tones in different endings...
Hope this helps :)
2007-01-08 05:51:19 · answer #2 · answered by Kenshee_09 ^ 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I think Sugarcam is almost there.
Let me try.
Slorr. . . XX
Liao, . . . finished, domed.
Leh, . . . an affirmative word, use at the end of sentences.
Sad. . . set,agreed
Lah. . . similar to leh
Siao liaoz. . . now I am going crazy. I'm in trouble.
Mah. . .is it?
nan ren bu huai, nu ren bu ai. girls like bad boys
daoing me. . . playing hard to get on me.
chio. . . beautiful. . . .normally use on gals. .
abuden. . .ah but then. . . yes of cause. Affirmative word.
2007-01-07 03:09:08 · answer #3 · answered by Melvin C 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋