Baba Malay Dictionary. William Gwee Thian Hock
berak kapor passing whitish (lime-like) excrement
■ terberak-berak diarrhoea
berandam (andam) in the traditional Baba wedding, the ritual of dressing the bride's hair above her forehead two days before the wedding
berang (berang) fury; rising anger
berangan (berangan) SEE mati
berangan
berani SEE brani
berapa (berapa) how much (if spoken interrogatively); to some extent
■ berapa chantek how lovely
■ berapa manyak? how much?; how many?
berapi SEE api
berarak / belarak (arak) procession
■ berarak wangkang religious procession involving a model of a Chinese ocean-going junk
beras SEE berair
berat (berat) heavy
■ berat sebelah heavy on one side; showing favouritism
beray SEE cheray-beray
berbana SEE rebana
berbani (perbani) SEE ayer
pasang berbani
berbaok SEE baok
berchang-chang long and pointed
berchaya (percaya) to believe; to trust
■ keperchayaan belief
berechik / merechik (recik) splash
berenang (berenang) to swim
berengair (lengas) to feel humid, sticky and clammy
berenget (rengek) prolonged and non-stop
berengkali / mengkali (barangkali) perhaps; maybe
berenti (berhenti) to come to a stop; stop
■ berenti penat to rest; to recover one's breath
beresing (bersin) sneeze
beriani SEE nasik beriani
bergangsi (gangsi) having the freedom of space and movement
beridong SEE kasot beridong
berkat (berkat) divine blessing; blessing
berkelai / merkelai (berkelahi) to quarrel
■ berkelaian quarrelsome
berkeliairan swarming all over
berlaga (berlaga) to fight over; to rush over; to compete
berlagau SEE lagau
berongkong to crawl on all fours
beroyan / meroyan (meroyan) nausea due to pregnancy
bersemungka SEE mungka
bersepah SEE sepah
bersibair SEE sibair
bersih (bersih) clean
bersio / bersiol (siul) to whistle
bersiol SEE bersio
bersiong SEE siong
bertapa (bertapa) to retire from the world and devote oneself to a life of austerity and asceticism and be a recluse in remote surroundings
bertau (beritahu) SEE tau
berteh (bertih) parched rice (used in spiritual rites)
■ berteh dalam kuali noisy chatterbox
bertonya to mull over (as during a meal)
beruang (beruang) bear
berubah (ubah) to undergo a change
■ berubah pe'el to undergo a character change
berus (berus) brush; to brush
■ berus dia to give a tongue-lashing
■ berus gigi toothbrush; brushing the teeth
■ berus kasot shoe brush
■ berus rambot hair brush
besair / besar (besar) big
■ besair ati presumptuous
■ besair harapan hopeful; entertaining great hope
■ besair penipu a big fraud
■ besair periok kerak dia manyak the bigger the person, the bigger will be his problems and responsibilities
besi (besi) iron
■ besi brani magnet
■ besi burok scrap iron
besok (esok) tomorrow
■ besok belakang ari in future; in time to come
■ besok-besok in the future
■ besok kemdian ari in the future; in time to come
■ besok lusa in a few days' time; soon
besu (besu) to scowl; moody
Betawi (Betawi) Batavia (now Jakarta)
betok (betuk) SEE ikan betok
betol (betul) true; correct
■ betol-betol exactly; properly
■ betolkan to correct
■ kebetolan in actual fact
betong SEE kodok betong
biair / biar (biar)
■ biair karam di-laot jangan karam di-ati it is better to flounder at sea rather than at heart [better to suffer a small hurt rather than a big one]
■ biair berkelai dulu jangan berkelai belakang it is better to solve problems now than later
■ biairkan let it be
■ biair pechah di-perot jangan pechah di-mulot to keep strictly confidential
biang (biang) SEE langgar biang
biar SEE biair
biasa (biasa) accustomed to; acquainted with
■ biasakan getting used to
biawak (biawak) monitor lizard
bibi SEE bibik
Bibik / Bibi (bibi) form of address for Nyonya ladies
bibir (bibir) lip
■ bibir paso Siam curled out lower lip
bichak (lecak) moist and slippery; slushy; sodden
bidang (bidang) breadth
bijak (bijak) talkative
bijan (bijan) sesame
bijik (biji) seed; pip; number coefficient for small objects
■ bijik delima pomegranate seeds; a Nyonya syrupy drink containing fake sago-made pomegranate seeds
■ bijik gajus cashew nut
■ bijik kelentek clitoris
■ bijik mata eyeball; apple of my eye (as a term of endearment)
■ bijik saga red-coloured seeds from the pods of the Abrus precatorius tree
■ bijik selaseh basil seeds; a syrupy drink containing basil seeds
■ bijik tetek teat
■ sebijik one
bikin (bikin) to make; to do; to produce
biku (biku) Buddhist monk
bila (bila) when; time when
■ bila-bila whenever; times when
■ bila-bila