A Hokkien-derived Singaporean and Malaysian vulgar expletive, used as a general-purpose intensifier or expression of frustration, anger, or exasperation. Literally a sexual insult targeting someone's mother, but in practice it functions more like a broadly profane exclamation similar to 'fuck' in English. Typically used in casual Singlish speech and among friends, particularly by Chinese-Singaporean and Malaysian speakers. Often abbreviated 'KNN' in online contexts. The term is highly offensive in formal settings but is relatively normalised in certain informal registers.
He missed the bus by thirty seconds and muttered 'kan ni na' under his breath all the way to the next stop.
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
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A Hokkien-origin profanity used in Singapore and Malaysia, literally meaning to have sex with your mother, a direct maternal insult. One of the strongest expletives in Singaporean and Malaysian Chinese informal speech. Used as a standalone exclamation, as an intensifier, or at the start of a sentence for dramatic emphasis. Extremely vulgar; entirely inappropriate in formal or professional settings. Variations and intensifications of the phrase are common in colloquial speech, often with added particles that shift the emphasis or direction of the expletive.
He let out a kan ni na when he realized he had locked his keys in the car.
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(Singapore, Malaysia, colloquial, vulgar) ; fuck.
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