Penang Hokkien Rhyming Couplets
Penang Hokkien has a rich collection of traditional rhyming couplets, many of which have been passed down through generations by word of mouth. Usually consisting of just two short lines, these couplets use rhyme, rhythm and wordplay to express humour, wisdom, observations about everyday life, or a playful take on human behaviour. Some are witty and amusing, while others carry a deeper meaning or a practical lesson. This page brings together a collection of Penang Hokkien rhyming couplets, presented in their original Penang Hokkien form together with their English meanings, so that the humour, wisdom and linguistic character of this distinctive local dialect can be appreciated by a wider audience. Most of these rhyming couplets have nonsensical meaning.
On this page, I line up in alphabetical order the rhyming couplets that I have managed to collect.
- Ayer si33 cui4, hantu si33 kui4, pusing balik tok33si33 cuan3tok1tnui4.
"Ayer" is water, "hantu" is ghost, and "pusing balik" is to make a u-turn. - Ceh33 snua1 khnua1 hai4, ceh33 jam1ban2 khnua1 sai4.
Sit on the hill to look at the sea, sit on the toilet to look at your stool. - Chui3 liam3keng1, chiu4 tnae33 leng1.
His mouth is reciting as chant while his hand is squeezing a breast.
Co1 lang2 boh3 ceng1keng1.
What an serious person! - Ciak3 pa4 khoon3, tan1 ho1 un33.
Eat then sleep, waiting to get luck.
Khoon3 pa4 ciak1, tan1 ho1giak1.
Sleep then eat, waiting to get rich. - Eng3-eng2 cheng3-cheng1, sin3lo2 kui1 cap3 cheng1.
An easy life with a fat salary. - Kiam3hu2 na33 boh3 thang2, se1kai3 tok33 boh3 lang2.
If the salted fish has no worms, then the world has no people. -
Phnai1seh3 goo2 cheng33 khor3, bae4 cheng33 mua1 cau1 kae33lor33.
If you are shy, even the cow will wear pants and the horse will wear sarong and run down the road. - Thau3mor2 khiu3-khiu2, kong1wa33 boh3 li1iu2.
The one with the curly hair is speaking nonsense.
Thau3mor2 tit3-tit1, kong1wa33 boh3 lau1sit1.
The one with the straight hair isn't speaking honestly.
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This page was created on 1 September 2025.Featured Video: Eating Like A Malaysian - Guide for Foreigners
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