■ belah empat to cut crosswise into four
■ sebelah one of a pair; on one side
■ sebelah mata takleh liat intolerable
■ sebelah membelah right next to one another; neighbours
■ sebelah sana over there, on that side
■ sebelah sini over here, on this side
belair / belas (belas) teens; a component in framing numerals from 11 to 19
belakang (belakang) back; rear; hind portion; behind
■ belakang-belakang of late
■ belakang hari / ari in future; in time to come
■ belakang kali in future; the next occasion
■ belakang mata out of ken; behind the eyes
■ kebelakang towards the back; backwards
belanak (belanak) SEE ikan
belanak SEE telor belanak
Belanda (Belanda) Dutch
■ Belanda bosted SEE bandela
belang (belang) banded
■ belang-belang banded; stripes
belanga (belanga) wide-mouthed, unglazed, earthenware cooking pot
belangkair / belangkas (belangkas) king crab (Tachypleus gigas)
belangkas SEE belangkair
belanja (belanja) spending; expenditure; a treat
■ belanja besair heavy expenditure
■ belanja kasair to incur heavy expenses
belarak SEE berarak
belas SEE belair
belayair / belayar (belayar) to travel
belayar SEE belayair
belebau (belebau) to thrash (a person or animal)
beleko (beleko) molass
belengkat SEE lengkat
belengkek SEE lengkek
belengkok (melengkok) to curve or bend
belerang (belerang) sulphur
belet (belit) to coil up; to wind round
beletop SEE meletop
beli (beli) purchase; buy
■ beli ayer a funeral rite whereby water is fetched from a public standpipe to bathe the deceased
beliak (beliak) to open the eyes wide; to glare at
■ beliakan mata to show anger; to cause fear or intimidate by opening the eyes wide
belian (berlian) brilliant (diamond)
beliang cane mark
belimbing (belimbing) a greenish or yellowish sour fruit from the Averrhoa belimbi tree
■ belimbing gading yellow-coloured belimbing
beliong (beliung) SEE kapak
beliong, puting beliong
belodok (belodok) SEE ikan
belodok, mata belodok
belok (belok) to veer; to turn; to wheel
belom (belum) not yet
■ belom-belom before anything has taken place
■ belom lagik not as yet
■ belom masak still unripe; still not cooked
■ belom pernah never; never yet
■ belom satu apa nothing has taken place yet
■ belom tentu it is still uncertain
■ sebelom before; until; while
belon / belun (belon) balloon
belukang SEE bedukang
belun SEE belon
belut (belut) mud eel
bembam (bembam) to roast directly in hot ash
bembek / bebet (bembet) to drag along
bempek SEE beng pek
benak (benak) slow-witted
benang SEE menang
benair / benar (benar) rational; conforming to standard
■ benair pulang ke-benair, dosa pulang ke-dosa the righteous will triumph eventually
■ tak benair not mentally rational; not rational
benar SEE benair
benchi (benci) to hate; to despise; to dislike
■ kebenchian behaviour or conduct that leads to unpopularity or irritation
benda (benda) thing; article; indirect reference to private parts
bendir SEE mendir
beneh (benih) seed; plant seed
beng ki [冥忌] a birthday prayer conducted on the birthday of the deceased
beng pek / bempek [明白] proof; sufficient evidence
bengah / mengah (mengah) to pant
■ terbengah-bengah panting
bengair / bengal (bengal) heavy head
bengak
■ bengak-bengok very twisted; zigzagging
Benggala (benggala) SEE bawang
Benggala
bengal SEE bengair
Benggali SEE Menggali
bengis (bengis) a serious nature; lacking a sense of humour
bengka SEE kueh bengka
bengkak (bengkak) swollen; inflamed
bengkak (bengkang)
■ bengkak-bengkok tortuous (of a road)
bengkok (bengkok) crooked; bent
bengkong (bengkung) waistcloth worn by Nyonyas after childbirth
bengok (begok) mumps
bengot (bengot) out of line; awry
benguak (menguap) yawn
bentair (bentar)
■ sebentair in a moment; awhile
bentan (bentan) ailments due to poor post-natal health management; relapse; return of sickness
bentang (bentang) to spread out; to lay out
■ bentang tikair to spread a mat
bentok (bentuk) shape
benua (benua) awed by everything
beradu SEE adu
berair / beras (beras) uncooked rice
■ berair Belanda pearl barley
■ berair goreng roasted rice
■ berair hanchor broken rice
■ berair kapor uncooked rice mixed with lime as preservative
■ berair kunyet rice stained yellow with saffron
■ berair Rangoon rice from Burma
■ berair Siam rice from Thailand
■ berair sua jadi nasik, nasik sua jadi bubor an irreversible state of affairs
berak (berak) to defecate
■ berak chayer to pass watery stool