Mangkali means: An Indian person.. It is mainly Singaporean English and may not be understood outside that context. It is generally derogatory or offensive; worth a quiet word about how it lands on the person being described. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
Mangkali
(Singapore, ethnic slur, derogatory) An Indian person.
Definitions
(Singapore, ethnic slur, derogatory) An Indian person.
Mangkali means: An Indian person.. It is mainly Singaporean English and may not be understood outside that context. It is generally derogatory or offensive; worth a quiet word about how it lands on the person being described. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
Mangkali means: An Indian person.. Register: very informal, often derogatory or vulgar. Avoid in formal, business, academic, or polite writing. Even in casual speech the word can offend and is best left out of a learner's active vocabulary. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.
Comments
For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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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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- ah neh74%
(Singapore, colloquial, slang, derogatory, ethnic slur) An Indian man, especially a migrant worker.
- ang moh73%
(Singapore, Malaysia, informal, possibly, mildly, derogatory) A white person, especially one perceived as a foreigner rather than a local inhabitant.
- Mat72%
(Singapore, racial slur) a Malay man.
- munjen67%
(Singapore, slang) A Chinese person.
- Keling67%
(now, offensive, ethnic slur, derogatory, Malaysia, dated, _, in, _, Singapore) a person of Indian descent.