What does “ah ma” mean?

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

ah ma

nounHokkien

Grandmother.

“Ah ma cooks the best braised duck.”

Also: ah mah

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 lian The female ah beng: loud, brash and loudly dressed.
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 ma” mean in Singlish?

Grandmother. It’s a noun.

Where does “ah ma” come from?

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

How do you use “ah ma” in a sentence?

“Ah ma cooks the best braised duck.”

How else is “ah ma” spelt?

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

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