Translation guide to Aussie English and a bit about Malaysian English
The Australian language has its own unique set of slang words that may seem quite unfamiliar to people from non-English speaking countries who think they have been taught to speak English. Following is a translation chart for the languages I know (Chinese, Malay and English) to the new language I am very quickly becoming accustomed to - Aussie English.
The Chinese or Malay spelling is based purely on phonetics not the real spelling.
|
The English version |
The Malaysian version |
The Aussie version |
|
Dirty old man |
Hum supp lo (Cantonese) |
Randy old codger |
|
Good |
Ho (Cantonese) |
Bonza / Ripper |
| Girl / woman | Lui chai / Lui yan (Cantonese) | Sheila |
| Make love | Toong fong (Cantonese) | Nookie |
| Fight | Takau (Cantonese) | Blue |
|
Toilet |
Choong nyung fong (Cantonese) |
Dunny |
| Man | Lam yan (Cantonese) | Cove / Bloke |
| Face | Meen (Cantonese) | Dial |
| Silly person | Saw chai (Cantonese) | Galah |
| Nosy person | Kaypu chee (Malaysian slang) | Sticky beak |
| Treat | Belanja (Malaysian slang) | Shout |
| Trousers | Fu (Cantonese) | Strides |
| Work | Cho kung (Cantonese) | Yakka |
| European / English person | Kwai lo (Cantonese) | Pommie |
| Milk | Susu (Malay) Ngau Lai (Cantonese) | Moo juice |
| Died | Mati (Malay) Siong tein tong (Cantonese) | Karked |
| Smelly | Busuk (Malay) Chou (Cantonese) | On the nose |
| Tired or exhausted | Letih (Malay) Koi (Cantonese) | Knackered or stuffed |
| Angry | Marah (Malay) Chong foh (Cantonese) | Dirty |
| Can of beer | Yat Kun Chao (Cantonese) | Tinny |
| Go away | Pergila (Malay) Chao hoi (Cantonese) | Bugger off |
| Drank | Minum (Malay) Yum (Cantonese) | Knocked back |
| Friend | Kawan (Malay) Pung yaw (Cantonese) | Cobber / Mate |
| Alcohol | Chao | Booze / Plonk |
|
|
|
|
An example of how Aussie English can be used.
Bruce (from Pommie land) was a randy old codger who fancied a bonza sheila called Narelle. Bruce fancied a bit of nookie with Narelle but her bloke Dave was pretty dirty about it when he found out. Dave found Bruce hiding in the dunny and dragged him outside where the two of them had a pretty big blue. By the time Dave had finished, Bruce had almost karked it. Dave spent so long knocking the stuffing out of Bruce he was totally knackered; afterwards he told me it was real hard yakka as Bruce put up a good fight. Dave called Bruce a Pommie B___ and a galah and a few other words that can't be printed here. Dave told Bruce to bugger off and not come back and wisely that was just what he did. Once Dave was sure that Bruce had gone for good he cracked a big smile on his dial, relaxed and knocked back half a dozen tinnies and shouted his mates to a booze up to celebrate his victory.
A typical Aussie greeting
'G'day mate, ow yer goin, orrite?' (Translation - Good day friend, how are you going, all right?)
A bit about Malaysian English
A lot of people in Malaysia speak English but as with most places, we have our own ways of doing it and our own slang. Some slang words that really stand out are 'aiyah', 'aiyo', 'la' and to a lesser extent 'mah'. These get mixed in with English, Malay and Chinese and are used as kinds of exclamations.
'Aiyo, she was such a nuisance!'
'Not today la, I'm too busy.'
'You forgot to do it didn't you! Aiyah, I'll have to do it myself.'
'Are you going mah?'
There are also some unusual ways English words or expressions are used in Malaysia. If a Malaysian says 'I will follow you' they don't mean they will hop in their own car and literally follow you along, what follow means in Malaysia is to accompany.
If a Malaysian says 'On the TV' they don't mean something is on top of the TV they mean turn the TV on. So you get, 'On the light, on the fan' etc.