buay tahan en · VERB
Pronunciation
- /ˌbwe˨ ˈtahan/ (Singapore)
- [ˌbwe˨ ˈta˨˦.han˨] (Singapore) with Hokkien tones
Etymology
From Hokkien 𣍐 / 袂 /𫧃 / 袂 (bōe, “cannot”) + Malay tahan (“to endure; to withstand; to bear”), which in Hokkien would be 袂打限 (bōe tá-hān). The equivalent expression in Malay is tak boleh tahan.
Meanings
-
(Manglish, Singlish, of someone, qualifier:generally intransitive) Cannot endure or stand something any longer.
Cannot wait already, buay tahan already. I hope she doesn’t complain to anyone.
2006, Elangovan, Smegma, →ISBN, page 39: