sing ngelah pis
In Balinese, 'no money' is expressed as sing ngelah pis.
The phrase is used to state that a person does not possess any money. In Balinese, the subject is often omitted when it is understood from the context, so sing ngelah pis can mean 'I have no money'.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of sing (not), ngelah (to have or possess) and pis (money).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
nenten ngelah jinah is a more formal and polite way to say 'does not have money' than sing ngelah pis.
How does it change in a sentence?
sing is the common, informal way to negate a verb in Balinese. When you want to say 'I' in Balinese, you can use the word tiang.
Did you know?
- The word pis used for 'money' is a loanword from the 'piastre', a currency once used across Southeast Asia during the colonial era.
- The distinction between pis and jinah is part of a wider linguistic system called 'Basa Bali', where an entire vocabulary changes based on the speaker's relative social status.
- In Bali, stating sing ngelah pis can be used as a social lubricant to deflect requests or avoid obligations without causing a direct confrontation.
Examples in context
- Tiang sing ngelah pis.I have no money.
- Ia sing ngelah pis jani.He has no money right now.
- Iriki sing ngelah pis.There is no money here.
Example conversation
Two friends are looking at a menu at a cafe.
- KadekKadek, jepang mabelanja yuk!Kadek, let's go shopping!
- KadekTiang sing ngelah pis, Kadek.I have no money, Kadek.
- KadekYen keto, jalan mulih dogen.If that's the case, let's just go home.
- KadekNah, jalan mulih.Yes, let's go home.
