"Manglish Supremacy" — Local Actress Compares How The British & Malaysians Speak English
British: "This is my friend", Malaysia: "Member".
By Wayne Garreth — 23 Mar 2023, 03:26 PM
Some of the best parts of travelling include trying new foods, making new friends, and experiencing new cultures.
But have you ever travelled somewhere and had a full culture shock from the environment and the people?
Malaysian actress and singer Timur Gabriel has been a notable name in the Malaysian entertainment industry for quite some time. Currently based in Berlin, Germany, Timur has recently made waves across the Internet for a rather hilarious TikTok where she compared how the British speak English to how Malaysians speak English.
In the 26-second feature, Timur gave a plethora of examples relating to common phrases Malaysians use on a day-to-day basis, and counterpart phrase for what British people say as well. Easily said, her comparisons were nothing short of hilarious.
Here are some of the phrases she 'translated' from how British people speak to how Malaysians speak in her TikTok:
1. "Excuse me" — "BOSS!"
2. "You better not flirt with danger" — "You wanna die, is it?"
3. "Could you please take me seriously?" — "Eh, you don't play play, okay?"
4. "Yes, I'm very certain it can be done" — "Confirm can"
5. "Wow, this place is really cool" — "Wah, happening!"
6. "I don't think that's true" — "Where got?"
7. "You look a little confused" — "Why your face so blur?"
8. "Well, someone's confident" — "Wah, action ah you"
9. "This is my friend" — "Member"
The post has since received almost 900,000 views and over 130,000 likes on TikTok since being published
A plethora of users praised Timur for how accurate her examples were.
"Spot on! You make both of them sound posh and rempit at the same time," joked one user.
Others even commented on how iconic some of these Malaysian phrases are, adding that they use some of them daily.
One user, who referred to Timur's comparisons as the usage of 'Manglish', an informal way of referring to Malaysian English which is heavily influenced by other dominant languages used in the nation, as practical.
Another Malaysian also shared their experience during a trip to London, where they accidentally called a barista "boss", and how in awe he was by being called that.
A few Malaysians also gave other examples of common phrases locals use when correlated to British English
One of the funniest ones was a Malaysian who said that the counterpart for the sentence, "See, I told you," would be, "Kan!" in Manglish.
Having posted the same clip to her Instagram page, other users even gave their own take on funny comparisons they drew from Timur's clip.
However, one of the most fruitful comments of the bunch came from a user who stated that sometimes, Malaysians don't even have to speak to get their thoughts across.
"Eye contact and sign language will do the work!" he joked.
Are there any common 'Manglish' phrases you know and use frequently? Let us know!
Watch the full TikTok below:
