Han Plang Origin: Singlish – This term means literally everything. Han Plang is used to describe putting everything together or just simply everything.
hokkien
Ho Seh Boh??
Ho Seh Boh? Origin: Hokkien – It is a question asking “How have you been?” A popular hokkien greeting when you chance upon a friend outside. It is a simple and yet effective greeting that asks the person how has he/she been.
7 Early, 8 Early (七早八早)
7 Early, 8 Early Origin: Chinese – From the chinese phrase 七早八早, which means early in the morning. “7 Early, 8 Early” (七早八早) also common in its hokkien form is used to refer to the time frame between 7am – 8am (or earlier) when some could still be asleep. It is commonly used as a phrase […]
Bao The Mountain, Bao the Sea (Bao Sua Bao Hai,包山包海 )
Bao The Mountain, Bao the Sea Origin: Hokkien – The chinese-english description of the Hokkien phrase “Bao Sua Bao Hai” “Bao the Mountain , Bao the Sea” (包山包海) is the chinese-english equivalent of the hokkien phrase “Bao Sua Bao Hai”. It literally translates to cover the mountain and cover the sea. It is usually used […]
Siang Kar Pager?
Siang Kar Pager? Origin: Hokkien – It is a question asking who had paged me on my pager This hokkien phrase was commonly used back in the 80s/90s and early 2000s when there was widespread use of pagers. A pager also known as a beeper is a telecommunication device that can receive alphanumeric messages and […]
KPKB – Kao Peh Kao Bu
KPKB – Kao Peh Kao Bu Origin: Acronym/Hokkien – Literally means “Cry Father, Cry Mother” in hokkien. This hokkien phrase is used to describe someone who cry/bawl when their father/mother passed away. However, it is used popularly to describe someone who makes a lot of noise (usually making a complaint). This is especially true when […]
MLMLWML – Mai Lai, Mai Lai, Wa Mai Lai
MLMLWML – Mai Lai, Mai Lai, Wa Mai Lai Origin: Acronym/Internet Slang/Hokkien – Literally means “don’t want, don’t want, I don’t want!” This hokkien phrase is used popularly as an acronym in online forums. It is mainly used in reply to an undesirable suggestion telling people that they really do not want it or to […]
Chao Keng
Chao Keng Origin: Hokkien- means feigning illness or physical injury Chao Keng is a commonly used term when describing someone for feigning illness or injury in order to avoid a duty/responsibility. This term is often used in the Army and at workplaces. It is synonymous to the english word “malinger”.