Starting with L
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- 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, …
- lain macamStrange or different, giving off a weird vibe.
- lakiCasual Malay for husband, from 'lelaki', man.
- lansiHokkien for arrogant or show-off. Also spelt lan si.
- last timeManglish for 'in the past' or 'back then', not just the previous occasion.
- lawaMalay for beautiful or pretty.
- lehAdds a soft, slightly pleading or tentative tone, or gently pushes back on something.
- lembapSlow, sluggish, or slow-witted.
- lengluiCantonese for pretty girl. Also spelt leng lui.
- lengzaiCantonese for handsome guy. Also spelt leng zai.
- lepakTo hang out and chill, doing nothing in particular.
- liaoFrom Hokkien, meaning 'already', or that something is finished or done for.
- like that also canManglish for 'that works too', or a sarcastic 'seriously, that's allowed?'.
- limau aisIced lime juice, the go-to thirst quencher. Teh O ais limau is iced lemon tea.
- line clearCoast is clear, nobody watching.
- lo heiTossing the yee sang salad high at Chinese New Year for good luck. Higher toss, more huat!
- lompat pagarJumping the school fence to escape class.
- lorShows resignation or that something is obvious, like 'well, that's how it is'. Also spelt loh.
- luHokkien for you, used casually in Manglish.
- luiHokkien for money. Also spelt luit.