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:

chui

cui

/t͡sʰu̯i/, /t͡sʰu̯e/

Hokkien:

poj:

chhùi

expand for details Detailed etymology

definitions

adjective

  1. lousy; bad
  2. You got 12/40 for the compo? Your English so cui ah?

  3. ugly
  4. Wah I look damn cui in this picture sia. Macam face kena langgar by lorry.

  5. broken; spoiled

usage notes

If the etymological origin is accurate, it is originally pronounced /t͡sʰu̯i (approximately rhyming with English 'wee'). However, due to the influence of Mandarin Pinyin reading and pronunciation, it is now also sometimes pronounced /t͡sʰu̯e/ (approximately rhyming with English 'way') by some speakers (though this is proscribed).


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