Starting with A
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- abangMalay for older brother, also used for any young man, a waiter, or a boyfriend. Often shortened to bang.
- ABCAis batu campur: shaved ice piled with syrup, red beans, corn and jelly.
- abudenCheeky Malay slang meaning 'well, obviously' or 'what else did you expect?'.
- acahTo pretend or put on an act. 'Acah-acah' means only pretending.
- actionShowing off or acting cool. Malay speakers write it eksyen.
- adikMalay for younger sibling, also used for any younger person. Often shortened to dik.
- adoiOuch! or oh no! Said when hurt or when something annoying happens. Also aduh, aduhai.
- agak-agakUse your common sense; also to roughly estimate.
- ahMarks a question, a dramatic pause, or extra emphasis in the middle or end of a sentence. Also spelt ar.
- ah bengA stereotypical brash young guy with flashy style, spiky hair and a loud modified car.
- ah boyAffectionate nickname for a son or little boy.
- ah girlAffectionate nickname for a daughter or little girl.
- ah lianThe female counterpart of ah beng: loud, bold fashion, plenty of attitude.
- ah longA loan shark. Borrowing from ah long means you're in serious trouble.
- ah maHokkien for grandmother. Also a-ma.
- ah pekHokkien for an old man or elderly uncle.
- aikMalay sound of puzzled surprise, like 'huh? how come?'.
- ais kosongPlain iced water. The cheapest order at any mamak.
- aisehExpresses mild surprise, regret or embarrassment, like 'oh man'. Often stretched to aiseh man.
- aiyahSaid in mild annoyance or resignation, like 'oh come on' or 'never mind lah'. Also spelt aiya.
- aiyoAn all-purpose cry of dismay, pain or frustration, like 'oh dear'. Also spelt aiyoh.
- aiyoyoThe extra-dramatic version of aiyo, strongly associated with Tamil speakers but used by everyone.
- akuCasual Malay for I or me, used among friends.
- alahaiA soft Malay sigh of pity, fondness or disappointment.
- alamakOh no! Said when something goes wrong or you suddenly realise a mistake.
- alongMalay title for the eldest child in a family. Not to be confused with ah long, the loan shark!
- alreadyManglish for done or completed, placed at the end of a sentence. 'Eat already' means I've eaten.
- amboiMalay exclamation of surprise or teasing, like 'well, well, well'. Also hamboi.
- ampuTo flatter or brown-nose someone, especially a boss.
- ang pauRed packet of money given at Chinese New Year and weddings. Also ang pow.