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.