nak mati

Malay

Etymology

Compound of nak (“to want; will”) +‎ mati (“to die; to perish”). Compare with use of 死 (sǐ, “death”) in Chinese.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [naʔ ma.ti]

Adverb

nak mati (Jawi spelling نق ماتي)

1. (colloquial) Used as an intensifier.

   Synonyms: -nya, gila, bapak, nak mampus

   Besar nak mati bangunan tu.

   That building is so big.

Further reading

• “nak mati” in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu | Malay Literary Reference Centre, Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017.