These days there has been a few cases of politicians fling mud at each other, using ethnically sensitive words.
I dunno, back when I was a kid, referring to someone of a different race was quite easy. Everybody used it and anybody understood it.
For example, if you wanted to call a Malay guy (but do not know him), you just say, â€Oi, Mat!†or “eh, Ahmadâ€.
Similar, if a Malay dude wants to get the attention of a Chinese guy, he’ll probably say, “Eh, Ah Chong!â€
And so it goes. I’ve made a table for the major races and for male and female:
| Race | Guy | Girl |
| Malay | â€Matâ€, “Ahmad†| â€Minah†(if said Malay girl is working for electronics factory, then “Minah karanâ€) |
| Chinese | â€Ah Chong†| â€Ah Moy†(if said Chinese girl is a SYT, then “swee Ah Moyâ€) |
| Indian | â€Thamby†(not entirely polite), “Maacha†| â€Minachi†|
| Others / Lain-lain | Sorry, I’ve no idea | Same here |
I’ve no idea how this convention came about. Usually in our Primary One textbooks, when they describe a group of kids, they always use “Ali, Ah Kau dan Raju†or “Aminah, Ah Mei dan Leelaâ€. Confusing.
For older folks, please use this table below:
| Race | Older Man | Very Old Man | Older Woman | Very Old Woman |
| Malay | â€Pakcik†| â€Atuk†| â€Makcik†| also â€Makcik†|
| Chinese | â€Uncle†| â€Ah Pek†| â€Auntie†or “Ah Soh†(use at your own risk) |
â€Ah Porâ€, “Auntie†also can |
| Indian | â€Uncle†| also â€Uncle†| â€Aka†| No idea |
Anyway, for men, when in doubt, always use ‘Uncle’. For women, using Auntie on a wrong lady can get you a scolding. So, just use ‘pletty ger’.
19 Comments
nicktay
Honestly, as a chindian I have never anwesered to Ahmat, Ah Chong, or Thambi
totoro
When I was in India I asked my Indian friend what thambi really meant… he said, it meant “brother”…
*scratch head*
mumsgather
When in doubt, just call anyone above 30 “boss” or “si tau” or “si tau poh” lah.
Fashionasia
aiyaaaa
just go by the basics la
“lengchai” for male
“lenglui” for female
You can never go wrong!!!! And u’ll put a smile in someone’s face too!!!!
Maria
oii, don’t simply call “auntie” to old unmarried women, will get scold wan, have to call “ah sam”, my grandma told me wan.
Shan
Yup calling them Aunty is very dangerous, especially if they’ve got a heavy and large handbag handy, that they can swat you over the head with…not speaking from personal experience or anything…ahem…
lucia
when i was a kid, adults use to refer to the indians as ‘neh neh’ to me. sorry to the indians as i think to them this is kind of deragatory?
another thing you didn’t mention, simon, was how the chinese are so terrible to refer to the other races as ‘devil’ or ‘monkey’ like ‘ang moh kau’ (red haired monkey), ‘kay-a na kooi’ (indian devil), ‘hua na kooi’ (malay devil).
teenagers call me auntie. oops. that is telling my age.
well i don’t mind to be call auntie lah. i can’t understand why other women so bising bising when they are called auntie. if old, so old oledi lah, if auntie, so auntie lah -that is a fact!, why no like it when people call us auntie?
you know i even have those older than me calling me auntie! those who are same age as my mother call me auntie too! haha. no lah not that i look so old but they are usually those poor uneducated usually non chinese people whom we (our society that helps the poor) help, they will call ALL females (even teenagers) as aunty.
AUNTY LUCIA
zyrin
hmm… usually use encik, cik, puan, tuan, sir, madam, miss… maybe a bit too formal, but hey, it keeps me out of trouble, hehehe.
hey, what about ‘abang’& ‘akak’?
simon
nicktay – but i suppose a lot of ppl asked you “you chinese aa?”
totoro – really? i thot thambi was a malaysian word…
MG – I’M above 30, but how come no one call me ‘boss’?! they still call me ‘lengchai’!!!
fashionasia – if i say lengchai and lenglui all the time, i sound like a vcd seller la!
maria – but i thot ah sam is just as bad as auntie?!
shan – so, solution, “miss, miss, you look veli pletty today, aa? can you help me aa?”
lucia – i heard chinese use worse terms… my previous tealady was like 70 years old, un-married, very fierce. when ppl call her ah soh, she would get very angry and scold them! How ppl to know?! aiya….
zyrin – “bang, bang, boleh tolong sikit bang…?” ish, geli la!
Sashi
Thambi is a Tamil word meaning “younger brother”, or “adik” in Malay.
Perfectly normal Tamil word, when used to address young boys or men younger than you.
Using it to address older people is the same as calling an older person “adik”. Not proper.
In that regard, one might use “anna” or “anneh” – meaning older brother (it’s pronounced in the bahasa baku way, not as in the feminine name Anna. 🙂
The equivalent Tamil word for younger sister is “thangachi”. Older sister is “akka”.
simon
wah, thanks for the tips in tamil, sashi!
lilian
Don’t dare call me auntie wor. Eventhough I already a real auntie to my nephew when I was as young as 10 yrs old.
Minah Karan’s opposite is Mat Bateri.
simon
everytime i pass western digital in PJ after shift ends, i see alot of minah karan, mat bateri, bangla karan, paki karan, mat motor kilang karan…
Reta
i sooooooo can’t stand people calling me ah moi.
urgh so repulsive =P
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mitsubishi
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online
This is one of the best sites I have ever found. Thanks!!! Very nice and informal. I enjoy being here.
clover
what a stupid things are here