What does “ah lian” mean?

Ah lian in the Singlish dictionary: what it means, where it comes from and how it’s said.

ah lian

nounHokkien

The female ah beng: loud, brash and loudly dressed. Teasing, not kind.

“She act ah lian but actually very sweet.”

Also: lian

ah beng The stereotype of a loud, flashy young guy, with spiky hair and a souped-up ride.
ah gong Grandfather; jokingly, the government.
ah ma Grandmother.
ah pek An older man, an uncle (literally father’s elder brother).
ah soh A middle-aged woman, an auntie (literally elder brother’s wife).
aiyah Oh well; a sigh of mild disappointment or resignation.
aiyoh Oh dear! For pain, dismay or exasperation.
ang moh A white person, a Westerner (“red hair”).

What does “ah lian” mean in Singlish?

The female ah beng: loud, brash and loudly dressed. Teasing, not kind. It’s a noun.

Where does “ah lian” come from?

From Hokkien. Other Singlish words from Hokkien include ah beng, ah gong, ah ma and ah pek.

How do you use “ah lian” in a sentence?

“She act ah lian but actually very sweet.”

How else is “ah lian” spelt?

Singlish has no fixed spelling: people also write “lian”.

Liddat’s own words, from the Singlish dictionary: 312 words and phrases, A to Z.