Commonly found variants; note these may range from acceptable alternatives to non-standard forms or incorrect spellings*.
* Singlish is a largely spoken creole, and as such descriptivism (recording forms that reflect actual pronunciation in spoken language, or as appearing in the linguistic corpus) is more pertinent than strict prescriptivism. Nevertheless, the use of more standard forms (or for words originating in languages with Latin script, such as Malay, accurate to the original spelling) is recommended and encouraged.

also can:

kan lin na kanina kan nin na kan lin nia kan ni nia kani nah

kan ni na

简 繁

→

Hokkien:

奸恁娘

poj:

kàn-ní-nâ

expand for details Detailed etymology

definitions

interjection

  1. (vulgar, offensive) fuck your mother

    2. "Kan ni na! ..." Big said. Her hand was up. A few girls screamed. But it was merely a threat, and Small was not threatened.

    — 2011, Kay Hwa Low. For that Day. Goody Books. ISBN: 9789810885229

  2. (vulgar) 'fuck!'; 'shit!'; general exclamation of anger, displeasure, frustration, contempt, incredulity, disbelief, shock, etc.

    3. I took out my insect repellent, bent over my legs and engaged in a petulant spraying frenzy. Then I heard a cough and the distinct phrase "kan ni na".

    — 2010, Neil Humphreys. Complete Notes from Singapore: The Omnibus Edition. Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited. ISBN: 9789814351881. p.69

    I went back into the living room and when I saw Astrid sitting there pouring tea like Princess Diana, I realized the spoiled bitch didn't have a clue that her grandma had just kicked the bucket. Kan ni na, I had to be the one to tell her.

    — 2017, Kevin Kwan. Rich People Problems. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. ISBN: 9780385542241


usage notes

Extremely crude, vulgar, and offensive, but at the same time one of the more popular and universally-known Singlish swear words.
In Singapore, this term is usually spelled 'kan ni na' or abbreviated to KNN. The variant spellings 'kan ni nia' and 'kan lin nia', which follow e.g. Penang or Taiwanese Hokkien pronunciation and their Pe̍h-ōe-jī orthography, are less common but sometimes also used.


related:

KNN kan ni na bu kan ni na bu chao chee bai chee bai hong kan ka na sai kan lin lao bu kena sai KNNB KNNBCCB kan ni na chao chee bai KNNCCB na beh ni na beh na beh chee bai NB NBCB pundeh hor kau kan putang ina mo put tank in a mall

categories:

vulgar insults

entries starting with

'kan ni na'