Tagged family
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- abangMalay for older brother, also used for any young man, a waiter, or a boyfriend. Often shortened to bang.
- adikMalay for younger sibling, also used for any younger person. Often shortened to dik.
- ah boyAffectionate nickname for a son or little boy.
- ah girlAffectionate nickname for a daughter or little girl.
- ah maHokkien for grandmother. Also a-ma.
- ah pekHokkien for an old man or elderly uncle.
- alongMalay title for the eldest child in a family. Not to be confused with ah long, the loan shark!
- atukMalay for grandfather. Also tok.
- auntieRespectful way to address any older woman, related or not. Also aunty.
- biniCasual Malay for wife.
- ceceOlder sister, from Chinese 'jie jie'. Also che che.
- eat already?Manglish for 'have you eaten?', a caring greeting, especially from parents.
- haiyaA sigh of exasperation, made famous by parents scolding their kids.
- kakakMalay for older sister, used to address young women politely. Often shortened to kak.
- kokoOlder brother, from Chinese 'gor gor'. Also gor gor, kor kor.
- lakiCasual Malay for husband, from 'lelaki', man.
- makcikMalay for aunt, used for any older woman. A 'makcik bawang' is a gossipy auntie who knows everyone's business.
- pakcikMalay for uncle, used for any older man. Also pak cik.
- rotanA cane, the dreaded discipline tool of old-school parents and teachers.
- sayangMalay for love or darling, used for partners, kids and even cats. Also means 'what a pity'.
- uncleRespectful way to address any older man, from the kopitiam owner to the taxi driver.