Singlish vocabulary
Singlish is the English-based creole or patois spoken colloquially in Singapore.[] English is one of Singapore's official languages, along with Malay, Mandarin, and Tamil. Although English is the lexifier language, Singlish has its unique slang and syntax, which are more pronounced in informal speech. It is usually a mixture of English, Hokkien, Cantonese, Malay, and Tamil, and sometimes other Chinese languages like Teochew, Hainanese, Hakka, Hockchew, and Mandarin. For example, pek chek means to be annoyed or frustrated, and originates from Singaporean Hokkien 迫促. It is used in casual contexts between Singaporeans, but is avoided in formal events when certain Singlish phrases may be considered unedifying. Singapore English can be broken into two subcategories: Standard Singapore English and Colloquial Singapore English or Singlish as many locals call it. The relationship between SSE and Singlish is viewed as a diglossia, in which SSE is restricted to be used in situations of formality where Singlish/CSE is used in most other circumstances.
Some of the most popular Singlish terms have been added to the Oxford English Dictionary since 2000, including wah, sabo, lepak, shiok and hawker centre. On 11 February 2015, kiasu was chosen as OED's Word of the Day.
Word origins
Singlish vocabulary formally takes after British English, although naming conventions are in a mix of American and British ones. For instance, local media have "sports pages" and "soccer coverage". Singlish also uses many words borrowed from Hokkien, the non-Mandarin Chinese language native to more than 75% of the Chinese in Singapore, and from Malay. In many cases, English words take on the meaning of their Chinese counterparts, resulting in a shift in meaning. Vocabulary is also taken from Indian words such as dai meaning 'hey', goondu meaning 'fat', etc. This is most obvious in such cases as borrow/lend, which are functionally equivalent in Singlish and mapped to the same Chinese word,, which can mean to lend or to borrow. For example: "Oi, can I borrow your calculator?" / "Hey, can you lend me your calculator?"Singlish dictionaries and word lists
There have been several efforts to compile lexicons of Singlish, some for scholarly purposes, but most for entertainment. Two early humorous works were Sylvia Toh Paik Choo's Eh, Goondu! and Lagi Goondu!. In 1997 the second edition of the Times-Chambers Essential English Dictionary was published. To date, this is the only formally-published English dictionary also containing a substantial number of Singaporean English terms. Such entries and sub-entries are arranged alphabetically amongst the standard English entries. A list of common words borrowed from local languages such as Hokkien and Malay appears in an appendix. It appears that no subsequent editions have been published.2002 saw the publication of the Coxford Singlish Dictionary, a light-hearted lexicon which was developed from material posted on the website . In 2004, the website, was launched to document the actual usage of Singlish and Singapore English in published material, in the way that the Oxford English Dictionary does for standard English. Compiled by Jack Lee, an amateur lexicographer, the Dictionary was one of the first dictionaries to deal exclusively with Singlish and Singapore English in a professional or academic voice.
In 2024, a much more modern and updated web project was launched by Daniel Goh, another amateur lexicographer. Known as the, it is also the first to contain fully-researched etymologies of all its terms. While it is also written in a professional and academic style, the dictionary documents usage in not just published material, but also casual contexts such as online forums. It is, to date, the most complete and comprehensive dictionary of Singlish terms ever compiled, with up to several thousands more entries than its predecessors.
The Singapore Tourism Board and tourism-related businesses have also produced short lists of commonly used Singlish terms, ostensibly to allow foreigners visiting Singapore to comprehend the local language better. Such lists have been printed in brochures or booklets, and also published on websites.
The lack of an officially printed version of a Singlish dictionary is due to the fact that the Singapore government frowns upon the use of Singlish, their official stance being that the speaking of Singlish will make Singaporeans difficult to understand when communicating with foreigners who are not familiar with Singlish. Thus, the government has made an effort to quash the use of Singlish and to promote the use of standard English through the Speak Good English Movement over the past few years. Though failing to discourage the use of Singlish, it has resulted in Singlish having a bad reputation in recent years, further stalling efforts to document actual Singlish usage.
Letters contributed to the forum of The Straits Times, the main local newspaper, by readers have called for Singlish to be kept alive in Singapore. Community efforts to do so include the aptly named "Speak Good Singlish Movement". The idea of promoting Singlish was raised as part of a larger debate on creating a uniquely Singaporean identity. However, the government has yet to officially change its stand regarding Singlish.
A list of Singlish terms and expressions widely used in Singapore is set out below. It is not exhaustive nor fully accurate, and is meant to provide some representative examples of Singlish usage in Singapore. The origins of the Singlish terms are indicated where possible, and literal translations are provided where necessary. More comprehensive and accurate information may be found in the various dictionaries and compilations previously mentioned above.
Phonological sounds used in Singlish
Below are the phonological sounds used from the International Phonetic Alphabet used in Singlish.| Bilabial | Labio-dental | Dental | Alveolar | Post-alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Glottal | |
| Nasal | m | n | ŋ | |||||
| Plosive | p b | t d | k g | |||||
| Fricative | f v | θ ð | s z | ʃ ʒ | h | |||
| Approximant | ɹ | |||||||
| Lateral | l | w |
| Front | Central | Back | |
| Close | i | u | |
| Close-mid | e | ə | o |
| Open-mid | ɛ | ə | ɔ |
| Open | a |
List of Singlish words
0–9
4D - Local 4 digit lottery game run by Singapore Pools.5Cs - Refers to the 5 Cs of Singapore. Commonly associated with materialistic success in modern Singapore.11B - Official Singapore Army vernacular meaning '11 basic information'. Refers to the Singapore Armed Forces identity card held by servicemen during their National Service.A
abit - A little bit. Usually used sarcastically. As in "You abit fast ah" when the person in question is deemed to be slow.abuden - Obviously; what else could it have been? Equivalent to "duh".ACBC - Acronym for "act cute, [|buay] cute." Refers to a person who is behaving in an exaggeratedly cutesy manner, but instead comes across as annoying..act [|blur] - To feign ignorance.act cute - A phrase which describes behaving in a cutesy manner. Can be used as both a verb and an adjective. See also ACBC above.action - Refers to a person who is perceived as arrogant or haughty. / agak-agak - An estimate. Not to be mistaken as "" which means jelly/jello.agak-ration - An estimate or estimation. Also pronounced as "agar-ration".Ah Beng - A hillbilly, or someone with poor dress sense. Also used to refer to a gangster. Originates from the common Chinese male name 'Ah Beng'.Ah Seng - Ah Beng's sidekick. Also used to refer to a gangster. Originates from the common Chinese male name 'Ah Seng'.[|ah] - 1. Exclamation. E.g. "Heng ah!" 2. An alternative spelling of "ar". Used at the end of a sentence to express doubt.ah gua / ah kwa / ah qua - A transvestite, often assumed to be a Thai transsexual. Used to refer to men who appear to be effeminate.Ah Lian - A hillbilly, someone with little dress sense; female form of Ah Beng. Also used to refer to a gangster. The expressions came about because Ah Lian is a common Chinese female name.Ah Huay - Ah Lian's sidekick; female form of Ah Seng. Also used to refer to a gangster. The expressions came about because Ah Huay is a common Chinese female name.Ah Long - 1. Slang term for a loan shark. 2. Sometimes used to mistranslate Lee Hsien Loong. - means older brother; a shortened version of a racial slur.ah pu neh neh - A racial slur for Indians.ah tiong - Sometimes used simply as Tiong. A derogatory term for Chinese nationals.ai see - Used to describe someone on thin ice.ai see buay see - Used to describe someone on thin ice.aiseh - An exclamation made in awe of something. E.g. "Aiseh, he driving a Ferrari sia."ai swee mai m'niah - Used on a person who is so vain their life or wellbeing is compromised ai sui - Refers to a person who is beauty conscious..ai tzai / ai zai - Used in a reassuring manner to calm people down.Aiya(h) / Aiyo(h) - "Oh no!" "Oh dear!" Also used in 'Aiyo, so embarrassing!', a catchphrase popularized by Aunty Lucy, a role Mediacorp artiste Dennis Chew portrayed in Paris and Milan.Aiyoyo / Ai-yoh-yoh - Extreme version of Aiyo, popularized by the role played by Chen Liping in the SBC drama series Good Morning, Sir!akan datang - Means 'coming soon', as seen in movie trailers. Used to reassure an impatient person.alamak - Phonetically close to the Chinese term "Oh, my mother!" It expresses shock or surprise, and also dismay. Popularized by the catchphrase Henry Thia's court clerk character used in the popular TV variety show Comedy Nite.alibaba - Means 'missing' or 'stolen', a reference to the book Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, in which Ali Baba, a woodcutter, discovers a group of thieves with a secret stash of riches that can only be accessed by saying a magic word to open a secret door.amacam - A contraction of the Malay word 'Apa macam', which is used as a greeting, similar to "What's up?"ang mo(h) - A term for people of European descent. Based on the perceived hirsutism of Europeans with red or blonde-colored bodily hair. The term is neutral, but some may perceive it as mildly derogatory.ang mo pai - A term used among Chinese Singaporeans to insult those who speak good English but whose Chinese language skills are lacking, or whose mannerisms are perceived as too Western. The term suggests they are more "Red Hair"/Westernised than Chinese.ang pau / - Red packet with money to be given on Chinese New Year or during some occasion like wedding, birthday party and so on as a wish to the receiver. Also hong bao.an zhua? - Hokkien equivalent of "What's up?"ar - 1. Used at the end of a sentence where opinions and affirmations are being sought. 2. Used as either a noun or a verb to denote a very cozy, non-sexual relationship with someone that might result in special considerations or leeway not available to anyone else without such a relationship. As in "I ar with the boss because I'm his golf buddy so I can occasionally come to work later without getting into trouble with him." Or "You got ar with him or not?" to inquire as to the status of the relationship between two people. Similar to the American slang expression "having juice with someone."ar bo - Means "What else?" or "How else?" Usually used as an answer to a question with an obvious answer.atas - 1. Used to describe a snobbish and arrogant person. 2. Used to describe a "high class", well-to-do or sophisticated person.ayam - Used to describe someone who is easily intimidated.ay / aye / ayy - To express a bit of ‘yeah’ feeling.B
balik kampong / balek kampung - Pack up one's things and go home. The term also refers to returning to one's hometown.bakkwa / bak kwa - Rougan or roupu, a Chinese salty-sweet dried meat product similar to jerky.bao toh - The act of backstabbing someone, usually in an office or political context.barang barang - Personal belongings.basket - Replacement for the word "Bastard". Used to appear being less vulgar.berak - To defecate. See pang sai.belanja - To treat or pay for someone.bird bird - Penis. See kuku jiao / kuku bird.bo cheng sa - shirtless / half-naked blur - Someone who is forgetful, clumsy, or oblivious.bodoh - Idiot, ignorant.bo be zao - From horse racing jargon. Used to describe something that is of unrivalled excellence See also "no horse run".bo(h) bian / bo pien - No choice.bo chup - Hokkien for to not care/ disregard something.bo eng - To have little or no time on one's hands.bo gay / bo ge - Usually used to describe someone with a missing tooth.bo(h) jio / bojio - You didn't invite me.bo(h) liao - A slang expression to describe being in a situation of idleness. Also used to describe an act of doing something silly.bo ta bo lan pa - Usually used in drinking for "bottoms up".bo tao bo be - A story that has no linkage.bo tuah bo suay - Ignorant or unaware of who is the 'senior' or 'junior'.bo zheng hu - Used to describe a lack of governance or authority.boleh - Can; possible. Sometimes used sarcastically to refer to one's inability to do something.botak - Used to describe someone bald. This term inspired the famous Botak Jones in Singapore.buay - Means 'cannot'.' - 'crocodile'. Refers to a womanizer or flirt.buay pai - This is commonly used for food, saying that it isn't very bad or not bad. It can also be applied to other things.- '
C
cabut - To run off, flee or escape.' - unable to understand something that someone says. Directly translated from Hokkien term liek boh kiew / liak bo kiu.Calefare - An extra. Originally from Hong Kong Cantonese 茄哩啡, a loanword from English carefree. It was popularised by the 2008 comedy series of the same name.CB - May refer to either the Hokkien vulgarity jibai / chee bye / ci bai / chee bai, Chio bu or the Circuit Breaker lockdown back in 2020.cert - Abbreviation of 'certificate'. E.g. "Can copy your cert or not?"chao / chow - 1. Used to refer to foul smells. 2. Used to describe cheating or playing foul in a game. Darned.chao keng - Feigning sickness or injury. Commonly used during National Service to describe recruits who pretend to be unwell to avoid participating in certain activities. Sometimes shortened to Keng.chao mugger - Someone who frequently crams for tests for fear of failure.chap lau chu - A colloquial term to describe 10-storey flats.[|char bor] / - Girl/Woman.chee bai/ci bai - CB for short. Means vagina but used mainly as a swear word. See jibai.chee ko pek - Hokkien or Teochew slang for 'pervert' or 'dirty old man'. Sometimes used by children on riding an object.cheena - Originated from Malay spelling "Cina". A slur used to denote Chinese people exhibiting very unpolished behaviour or mannerisms, deriding their Chineseness. Basically to denote the uncultured, any occasionally be used to denote Chinese people.- * Variants include nouns such as chim-ness and chimology and chiminology . Ghil'ad Zuckermann defines chiminology as "something intellectually bombastic, profound and difficult to understand" and explains the suffix -inology as being based on the English pattern X↔Xinology deriving from Latin-based pairs such as crime↔criminology and term↔terminology.chin chai - When applied colloquially, it means 'anything' or 'whatever'. Used in situations when someone does not feel like making a decision and wants another to help them make a decision. Can also be applied to situations to do something in a half-hearted manner.chio bu -. The word ? tshio in Hokkien describes how females are being sexually receptive when mating and has some form of sexual connotation. When ? tshio is combined with 母 bú, it means the girl is horny or excited when having sex. The word ?母 chhio-bú generally means "a fuckable girl" or "buxom woman". It's used to describe a woman in a derogatory manner. However, today, many teenagers do not know the original vulgar meaning and often use it to genuinely describe/compliment a pretty girl/woman.
- '
D
[|da bao] / da pao / da pau - Take away. E.g. "da bao food"damn - Very.dao - aloof dey - 1. To call someone in a friendly informal way. Same as "Hey!". Only to be used towards friends or someone of the same age. E.g. "Dey! what are you doing?" 2. They.diam - See "t(h)iam / diam".doneded - Past tense of the word done.don't play play - Telling others to be serious or even saying ”don't fool around”. This is a catchphrase from Gurmit Singh's titular character Phua Chu Kang in the TV sitcom drama programme of the same name.du lan - 1. A swear term that means 'very pissed.' 2. Used to describe someone who is very picky and who insists on following the rules literally and blindly with no accommodation for circumstances.dunnid - A corruption of 'don't need'.double confirm - Confirm and reconfirm. Used to emphasize the confirmation. Also to emphasize the seriousness of the topic, 'Triple Confirm' is also used.E
echerly - Corruption of 'actually'.eeyer - To express disgust. - 'Mister' in Malay. When used in a military context, it is used to address male warrant officers in the Singapore Armed Forces. Also spelled as "encek".eye power - Sarcastic remark to describe someone who does not contribute in group work and merely watches on; this term is often associated with military officers. The term probably originated from the X-Men character Cyclops from Marvel Comics.F
falali '/ ferlali - Bastardisation of the car marque "Ferrari".fatty bom bom - 1. To refer to someone who is fat. 2. A fast food restaurant in Singapore.foto - Misspelling of photo. Also from the Malay word 'foto'fone' - Misspelling of phone.G
gabra - Used to describe confusion or disorganisation.gahmen - Mispronunciation of the word "government"; the omitted "v" is especially common among people from Chinese-speaking backgrounds. In the modern context, it is used as a substitute for the actual word when criticizing the government in written form to prevent possible legal action being taken against the writer.garang - Used to describe someone as courageous or enthusiastic.geh geh - Means faking. Usually used to describe those who are hypocritical.geh kiang - May be used to describe someone who makes rash decisions without thinking or someone who pretends to know what they are doing.ger - Corruption of 'girl'.get/giat - Very cheeky; mischievous. E.g. "Eh you know my son very 'get' one hor. When he young that time he broke a lot of my things one, you leh?"gila - Crazy or mad.gone-case - Means that one is doomed.goondu - Local meaning "idiot".gor chiam tua guay gu chia leng - To think that one's money can go further than it can actually afford.goreng - To brainwash.gostan - To reverse or go in the backward direction. / kwai lan - Arrogant.H
- Mobile phone. Also used in other SE Asian countries.hantu - Ghost.hao lian - Slang term for "boast" or to describe someone that is narcissistic.heng - To be lucky or fortunate. Commonly used in conjunction with "ah", i.e. "heng ah".helication - Corruption of "education".horlan - Deliberate mispronunciation of "Holland". Of uncertain origin, the term is used to denote finding oneself in a far-off place, or unexpected consequence, usually unpleasant. It is also used to describe the situation where one is physically lost, and is most prominently used in the military. ho liao - It means done. / - See ang pau / ang pow.hong gan / hong kan -.Used when very angry or disappointed. "We are screwed."hosei / ho seh / ho say - Good; well.- * Ho seh bo? - An greeting meaning "How Are You?" See How Are You? (TV series).
- * hosei liao - The phrase means 'very good' or 'excellent' and carries the positive connotation of respite. E.g. "Eh wah the cher never come today ah? Hosei liao, I never do her homework sia!" Can also be used sarcastically. E.g. "Walao you never study for your final papers then still don't want pon? Hosei liao!"huat To prosper. Commonly used in conjunction with "ah", i.e. "huat ah".hum ji / humji / hum chi / humchi - A phrase that denominates cowardly behaviour. Usually used on men. E.g. "Walao don't humji la go ask her out!" "James damn humji sia he see cockroach only he piss his pants sia really cmi."
I
ini macam - "Like this", also "That's how"J
jelak - To be overly satiated by food to the point you are repulsed by it, particularly food that is too rich.jiak - To eat.jiak cao - 1. Being in a situation of having no money for daily expenses. jiak chao - 1. To play foul in a game.jiak zua - Used of a person who slacks while on duty.jiak kantang - A pejorative term referring to pompous condescending intellectuals who are slightly more educated about Western cultures. "Eating more potato" means more westernized than being Asian. jiak liao bee - Means this younger generation is raised to nothing. jia lat / jialat - Used to describe being in trouble or a terrible situation.jibaboom / jibabom - The sound of an explosion, indicating something has spoilt.[|jibai] / chee bye / ci bai / chee bai - Vulgar term for the female sexual organ; or the English equivalent of 'cunt'. Also a general negative expletive/interjection in colloquial speech. Abbreviates to "CB" in digital communication.jibra - Corruption of "zebra".jio - Invite. Could also mean asking someone out.jilo / jiro / zilo - Corruption of "zero".jiuhu - Malaysia. Originated from colonial times, from the Chinese translation for the term 'Straits Settlement'.jom - Let's go.K
kae ang moh - Used of someone who tries to act like a Westerner.kah kenna chiu, chiu kenna kah - Used to describe a clumsy person. See also chiu kana kah, kah kana lum pah.kana sai - bullshit.khao peh khao bu -. Means to complain terribly.kenz - Short form of kena.kampong / kampung - Means 'village'. Figuratively used to refer to one's hometown or place of origin.kaninia - Abbreviated as 'KNN".kar chng - Buttocks.kar pak - Parking lot; Car park.' - A busybody. Sometimes abbreviated to kpo.kayu - Traditionally used to accuse that soccer matches have been fixed with shouts of "referee kayu" or soccer fans. Also used to describe lack of spontaneity or wooden behaviour.kee [|siao] - To go mad. Usually, this phrase is used in the context of scolding people.keling kia - Used as a racial slur. An old name for Tamil Indians. Keling or kling may have origins to the Kalinga empire which had contact with ancient Singapore, and kia means people or person.- '
L
la(h) - Interjection. Tagged at the end of a sentence as an exclamation but pronounced differently in questions. Used mainly at the end of both phrases and sentences. Most speakers prefer "ah" at the end of questions.lan jiao - Refers to male genitalia. See also Si mi lan jiao.lao lan - Arrogant; egoistic; pretentious, the same meaning as xia lan.lao pei huet - To have a nosebleed. Typically used as a reaction upon seeing a pretty girl.lao sai - To get diarrhoea.la sai - Create trouble.' - Means to want more of something.leh - Tagged at the end of a sentence in a similar manner as "lah", used to emphasize the sentence.leh chey - A gnarly, troublesome problem or situation.- '
M
mabuk - drunkmacam - Like; Means to resemble something.mader - Corruption of "mother".mafan - Troublesome.mah - Usually tagged at the end of a sentence to seek agreement or argue a point. For example, "Cannot like that, mah."makan - To eat.makcik - An auntie persona.malu - Embarrassing. Usually used when someone makes a fool of themself.mampat - Tight/firm. Usually referring to a woman's posterior or clothing.mang zang - Means irritable or easily annoyed.- masak-masak - Child's play. Masak by itself refers to cooking.
- Mat - a Malay man. "Mat" is a short form of the name Muhammad, which is a very common name among Muslim Malay men.
- Mat Salleh - a white person. Possibly a corruption of "mad sailor" which came to be conflated with the name of the leader of a historic rebellion against the British in North Borneo.mati - 'to die'. "Die" in the Singaporean slang context means to be doomed.mata - 'eye'. Used as a reference to the police. - Usually tagged at the end of a negative question to indicate someone is exploiting a possible loophole as in "Mata said cannot park here but I'm parking over there. Cannot, meh?" Or to indicate capabilities heretofore unknown as in "Just because you never see me running, you think I cannot, meh?"mong cha cha - To behave in a "blur" manner and be unaware of what is going on around.mug - To cram. Used interchangeably with/instead of the word "study".
N
neh neh - A woman's chest or breasts.neh neh pok - Nipples.ngeow - 1. Used to describe someone who is overly meticulous or tries to find fault in everything. 2. Used to refer to someone stingy.nia - Common used to depict the meaning of "only". It is of a belittling tone. May also be used to downplay intensity.nia gong - Direct Translation of 'your grandfather'.nia gong de ji dan - Direct translation of "your grandfather's egg".no eye see - A literal translation of the Cantonese expression 冇眼睇 or Mandarin expression 没眼看. Means cannot bear to look at/ do not want to know. - Original Hokkien expression 无马走 used in horse racing jargon to describe a champion horse which is way ahead of the field. Used to describe things which are ahead of their peers. See also "boh beh zao".nua - - Lazing around, or resting.O
O$P$ - "Owe Money Pay Money". An English translation of the Chinese expression 欠钱还钱. Used in threats from loan sharks who would usually scrawl this in markers or spray paint outside debtors' units.Obasan - Used to describe someone sloppily dressed and out of fashion. Usually women in an old faded T-shirt and cheap shorts carrying a plastic bag.obiang/orbit - a corrupted version of English term "off-beat". Used to describe someone or something that is desperately out of fashion.orbi - May be used as a single term or combined to form "orbi quek" or "orbi good", which means 'serves you right'.ORD - Short-form of "Operationally Ready Date", which refers to the date on which a full-time National Serviceman completes his full-time stint of National Service. It was also what older National Servicemen called their "ROD" or "Run Out Date."- * ORD loh - Army slang. An exclamation made by NSFs close to completing their two-year NS stint in the army to jokingly provoke their counterparts who have yet to see the end of their NS stint.
- * owadio - Corruption of "ORD loh". Also pronounced "wadio".orh - Yes; okay. Used to express acknowledgement.orh hor - Used when someone has done something wrong, and will now be in trouble.[|oso] - Also.ownself - himself, herself, myself, yourself, oneself, etc.
P
pai kia - Teochew slang for 'hooligan' or 'gangster'. Commonly used to scold kids who don't appreciate their parents.pai seh / - Means to be embarrassed. Usually used as an apology after making an embarrassing mistake.pak chiu cheng - To masturbate.pak zam - 'needle injection'. Used to describe something faulty or not usable.pak tor / - To go on a date. Colloquially refers to general physical intimacy.pang chance - To give chance. May also be spelt and written as Pang Chan or Pun Chan.pang sai - To defecate. See berak.' - Hokkien slang for "to be stood up", or cancelled upon at the last minute. Not to be confused with 'pang sai'.pang jio - To urinate.- '
R
rabak - A situation out of hand.rabz - Short form of rabak.rabz-kebabz - An out-of-control situation, usually with negative connotations. "Everyone was so drunk, damn rabz-kebabz."S
' - To play a trick on someone, with a related meaning of "getting someone else in trouble". - "Because he sabo me, now boss mad at me!"sakar - To flatter, to lick one's boots. Derived from a Malay term meaning 'sugar', which may have been derived from Hindi 'sakar' or 'Sakkar' meaning 'sugar' and 'sweet words', and ultimately from Persian 'shakar' meaning 'sugar', 'sweet'.saman - Used for traffic summons. Derived from the English word summons..sampat - Mainly used to describe a female who is a combination of silly, crazy, wacky, sassy, ditzy, etc. Different from 38.samseng - Gangster. Also samseng kia. Also samseng refers to the three star emblem used by the communist pro-independence fighters of the Malayan National Liberation Army during the Anti–British National Liberation War, a guerrilla war and terror campaign against the general populace, including both the Chinese and the Malays in British Malaya.sargen - Corruption of 'sergeant'.scorching eagle - A high flyer at work.sei - Steady.see first - A short form of "wait and see what happens; we’ll see." Most often used when procrastinating and putting off plans to be considered later. A variant of this phrase is "see how first".see me no up - Means to be looked down upon by someone.see you very up - Means worthy of you.sekali - Lest, what if. Pronounced SCAR-ly.selamat - ‘Hello’ or ‘Good’.shame shame - Childish slang meaning of "very disgraceful" or "embarrassing".- '
T
tahan - Handle; tolerate, commonly used as 'I cannot tahan' meaning "I can't bear it" or "I cannot tolerate".- ta - To Handle, bear with, commonly used as "Can you ta for me?' Or "I will ta for you"tai ko / tyco - Lucky. 'leper'.tak boleh - Cannot.tak boleh tahan - 'cannot endure'. Used when someone is suffering from pain, or couldn't wait upon something. / tok kok - Vulgarity meaning of talking nonsense/senselessly and gibberish or engage in idle banter. Probably originated from the English expression "cock and bull story" or its equivalent, talking "gibberish" — English slang for talking nonsense.tan ku ku - Hokkien phrase meaning "Forget it, it won't happen".ta pau / ta pao - See da bao.tau pok - 'fried tofu'. By students who throw themselves on one another in a pile, usually for fun or to bully. Special cases with vertical tau pok where a person gets squashed against a vertical object, found in MRTs on a crowded day.teh - Tea. Refer to "Kopi/coffee" for more information about the different types of orders for tea and coffee common in Singapore.tekan - Bully/torture/put under pressure. Military slang for punishments.terbalik / tembalik - Opposite/upside-down/inside-out. Also pronounced "dom-ba-lek".terok - Badthambi / tambi - Meaning ‘little brother’.t(h)iam / diam - If used as an imperative, a very rude way of saying "shut up!" or "please be quiet"; 'quiet'. Can be used to describe silence like in "Doing guard duty on holidays is very sian but also very diam since nobody is here."tio - 1. To get.. Usually used as a verb. E.g. "He tio scolded by teacher." "The car owner tio saman." 2. To accurately choose something. E.g. "He always play 4D and this time he tio so he won big jackpot."tir ko pek - A lecherous man.toot - Stupid/silly . / tow kay -, meaning Boss.tsai / wikt:zai#English - to be very skilled at something.tuang - means to hang out and not do anything, commonly used in reference to not going to classes.twa kee - Used to describe big or famous people.
U
ulu - Used to describe a rural or remote area or country bumpkin. Commonly found in road names around Singapore as well.un - Abbreviation for 'understand', was once used widely in Hong Kong.understooded - Corruption of understood.up lorry - - Used to describe a person who has already died or an item that is spoilt and can no longer be used. See also ki chia.use your brain / use your blain - Think it through properly. Made popular by Phua Chu Kang.V
very the - Singlish phrase emphasising 'very', directly transliterated from the Chinese 非常地, which means the same. Usually employed with a clearly sarcastic tone.vomit blood - A literal translation of the Chinese expression 吐血, which usually means to experience an extreme or unendurable difficulty or irritation. "Vomit" is often pronounced "womit".W
wa lan - Crude derivative of Wah Lau.wa lao / / / walau - Exclamation of shock; "WTF”.wa kao / wakao - Exclamation of shock. "What the hell just happened?”wa se - Exclamation of shock. "What the hell".wayang - "puppetry", "theatrical". Means 'acting' or 'for show'.where got - ‘This won’t happen’, ‘When did it happen?’white horse - The son of a government official and/or some other influential person. The term is derived from the drawing of a white horse that used to appear at the bottom left-hand corner of the computer screen displaying patient information when said scion visits his camp's Medical Officer.womit - Mispronunciation of 'vomit'.X
xia lan - Arrogant; egoistic; pretentious.[|xia suay] / - Disgrace; embarrassment. Unlucky.Y
yandao - A handsome man.yaya papaya - Used to describe someone who's proud, arrogant, or showing off; often with disappointing outcomes, i.e., "Our football team's striker is damn yaya papaya, always try to solo dribble until lose the ball".your grandfather's road ah? - "Does your grandfather own this road?". Used as a rhetorical question on a person who is road hogging or doing something inappropriate on the road. your head - Mild, rebellious curse used to disabuse someone of an erroneous assumption. Directly transliterated from Chinese 你的头 or wikt:你個頭. Often used in conjunction with the word ah, i.e. "your head ah".Z
zai - See tsai / zai.zao hor - Impressive.zao kng - To accidentally expose oneself.zha bo - See char bor.zhun - Accurate.- * zhun bo - Means "Are you sure or not?"zilo - Zero. See jilo / jiro / zilo.zi siao - To disturb, ridicule or tease.
Food and beverages
Singlish is prominently used in local coffee shops, or kopitiams, and other eateries. Local names of many food and drink items have become Singlish and consist of words from different languages and are indicative of the multi-racial society in Singapore. For example, teh is the Malay word for 'tea' which itself originated from Hokkien, peng is the Hokkien word for 'ice', kosong is the Malay word for 'zero' to indicate no sugar, and C refers to 'Carnation', a brand of evaporated milk.Food
Names of common local dishes in Singapore hawker centres are usually referred to in local dialect or language. However, as there are no English words for certain food items, the dialect terms used for them have slowly evolved into part of the Singlish vocabulary. Ordering in Singlish is widely understood by the hawkers. Some examples of food items which have become part of Singlish:char kway teow - Fried flat rice noodles with bean sprouts, Chinese sausages, eggs and cockles, in black sweet sauce, with or without chilli.chwee kueh - Cup-shaped steamed rice flour cakes topped with preserved vegetables and served with or without chilli.Hokkien char mee - Refers to the Kuala Lumpur Hokkien noodle. It is a dish of thick yellow noodles braised in thick dark soy sauce with pork, squid, fish cake and cabbage as the main ingredients and cubes of pork fat fried until crispy.Hokkien hae mee - Refers to either the Penang prawn noodle or Singapore prawn noodle. Soup-based and stir-fried. Egg noodles and rice noodles with no dark soya sauce used. Prawn is the main ingredient with slices of chicken or pork, squid and fish cake. Kang Kong is common in the Penang version.ice kacang - Crushed ice with flavoured syrup poured into them. Beans and jelly are usually added as well.kangkong / kangkung - Water spinach.kaya - Local jam mixture made of coconut, sugar and egg of Straits Chinese origins.roti-kaya - Toasted bread with Kaya.mee goreng - Malay fried noodles.otah - Fish paste wrapped in banana leaf or coconut leaves and cooked over a charcoal fire. Southeast Asian influence - you can find similar versions in Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia.popiah - Chinese spring rolls. Various condiments and vegetables wrapped in a flour skin with sweet flour sauce. Condiments can be varied, but the common ones include turnip, bamboo shoots, lettuce, Chinese sausage, prawns, bean sprouts, garlic and peanut. Originates from China. Hokkien and Straits Chinese popiah are the main versions.rojak - local salad of Malay origins. A mixture of sliced cucumber, pineapple, turnip, dried beancurd, Chinese doughsticks, bean sprouts with prawn paste, sugar, lotus buds and assam.roti john - Indian version of western hamburger consisting of two halves of French loaves fried with egg and minced beef/mutton. Colonial origins.tauge / taoge / taugeh / taugey - Bean sprout.tau gee - Dried bean stick; dried beancurd strips in sticks or rolls.tze char - meaning cook and fry. A general term for food served by mini restaurants in local hawker stalls serving restaurant-style Chinese dishes, like fried noodles, sweet and sour pork, claypot tofu, etc.Beverages
Types of tea
teh - Tea.teh-O - Tea without milk but instead with sugar.teh-O-ice-limau - Home brewed iced lemon tea.teh-C - Tea with evaporated milk. The C refers to the evaporated milk, derived from Hainanese See/Xi which sounds like alphabet 'C', in Hainanese See Gu-Nin refers to Evaporated or Fresh Milk e.g. King of Kings or Carnation as many Coffeeshops and related businesses are operated by Hainanese people in earlier days and even today.teh-cino - Milk layered with tea on top, though its name hints towards a tea version of cappuccino.teh-peng - Iced milk tea sweetened with condensed milk.teh-poh - Weak or thin tea.teh-kosong - Plain Tea.teh-kah-dai - Milk tea sweetened with condensed milk, with more sugar.teh-siu-dai - Milk tea sweetened with condensed milk, with less sugar.teh-pua seo - Lukewarm tea.teh-O-kah-dai - Tea with more sugar.teh-O-siu-dai - Tea with less sugar.teh-C-kah-dai - Milk tea with more sugar.teh-C-siu-dai - Milk tea with less sugar.teh-packet or Teh-pao - Tea to go.teh-tarik - 'Pulled' tea with milk, a Malay specialty.teh-halia - Tea with ginger extract.teh-halia tarik - Pulled tea with milk and ginger.tiao he / tiau hir - Teabag in hot water. Refers to dipping the teabag.Types of coffee
kopi - Coffee.kopi-O - Coffee with sugar but no milk.kopi-C - Coffee with evaporated milk. The C refers to the evaporated milk, derived from Hainanese See"/"Xi which sounds like alphabet "C", in Hainanese See Gu-Nin refers to Evaporated or Fresh Milk e.g. King of Kings or Carnation as many Coffeeshops and related businesses are operated by Hainanese people in earlier days and even today.kopi - Substitutes condensed for evaporated milk. Plain coffee.kopi-peng - Coffee with ice.kopi-packet / kopi-pao - Coffee to go.kopi-pua seo - Lukewarm coffee.kopi-gao - Thick coffee.kopi-poh - Weak or thin coffee.kopi-kah-dai - Coffee with more sugar.kopi-siu-dai - Coffee with less sugar.These terms can be combined. For example, strong iced coffee with evaporated milk and sugar would be called “kopi-c gau peng.”
Other beverages
bandung - Rose syrup-milk drink, of Indian origins. ice kosong - Iced water.horlick-dinosaur - Iced Horlicks with extra scoop of Horlicks powder on top.horlick-sio - Hot Horlicks.horlick-peng - Iced Horlicks.milo-sio - Hot Milo.milo dinosaur - Iced Milo with extra scoop of undissolved Milo powder on top.milo-peng - Iced Milo.tak kiu - Milo; Nestlé Milo often uses soccer and other sports as the theme of its advertisement.tak kiu-peng - Iced Milo.The above list is not complete; for example, one can add the "-peng" suffix to form other variations such as Teh-C-peng which is a popular drink considering Singapore's warm weather.
English words with different meanings in Singlish
arrow - to delegate an unpleasant or boring task to someone. The term derives from the military and government's practice of stamping a tiny arrow next to the name of the person in official documents.auntie - a middle-aged or elderly woman; a young woman who dresses very unfashionably. From Chinese equivalent.banana - westernised Chinese Singaporean who lives distinctively like a Westerner and usually cast aside or reject Chinese folk religions and traditions. The point of comparison is that both are "yellow on the outside and white on the inside".blur - clueless; in a daze; unaware of what is going on. Also commonly used in the phrase "act blur", which refers to the act of intentionally playing innocent.- * blur like sotong - 'blur like a squid'. To be extremely clueless. Squids squirt ink as a self-defence mechanism to get away. The ink makes it hard to see, thus "blur": "Wah! You damn blur leh! Liddat also dunno!"can - Used extensively as both a question particle and an answer particle. The negative is "cannot". E.g. "Can or not?" —"Can!" confirm - For sure.
- * confirm plus guarantee got chop / confirm plus chop - Extremely sure of something. Basically "officially sanctioned."earpiece - earphones, headphones. "Ah boy, don't wear your earpiece while crossing the road!"follow - to come along/accompany or to understand. E.g. "Can follow anot?"got - 1. there is/are... 2. have. E.g. "Now got pandemic, got nothing to do at home one."help - please, do lend me a hand by desisting from whatever it is you are doing; help me out here. E.g. "Help lah, stop hitting on my sister." ice cream - not up to par or expectation. E.g. "Wah a simple task you also fail, you damn ice-cream sia."jam - can also mean traffic congestion. A shortcut of the word "traffic jam".last time - previously, in the past. E.g. "I last time want to go Africa, but now don't know 'ready."lightbulb - an unwelcome companion in a couple; a third wheel. Originates from colloquial Cantonese term wikt:電燈膽. E.g., "You two go ahead lah, I don't want to be lightbulb."mug - to study. Derived from British 'mug up'. Common expression amongst all students. Instead of "He's mugging up...", locally used as "He's mugging for..." Confused with the Americanism, meaning assault with intent to rob.
- * smug - to study. The term smugging or smugger refers to mugging by SMU students. Derived from SMU and mugger.marketing - going to the market or shops to buy food. E.g. "My dad may help in the marketing side, by going to the market to get some things."never - did not yet. "you never tell me".next time - in the future. E.g. "Next time when you get married, you'll know how to cook."one - used as a way to aggressively exaggerate/place emphasis on one's opinion E.g. "You confirm can one lah!" or "I never say one hor." on, off - to switch on/off. E.g. "I on the TV".on ah - It's settled then?open - to turn on electric appliances. E.g. "I open the light." pass up - to hand in. E.g. "Pass up your homework." power - Usually means to praise someone or something.PRC - a Chinese national. Often used disparagingly. See also cheena.return - to give back. Direct translation from the Chinese phrase. Commonly used in business emails.revert - to reply. Often used in emails and text messages. "Please revert your decision to us" doesn't mean "Please change your decision", but rather "Please get back to us with your decision."send - to take somebody somewhere. E.g.: "I send you to the airport lah." "She gets her maid to send the boy in a cab."solid/steady - capable; excellent. E.g. "Solid sia, that movie." See also kilat.spoil - Broken down.stay - To live. From Malay tinggal. E.g. "My grandmother, my aunt and uncle also stay next door."step - Act like. E.g. "Eh, don't step Ah Beng."steady - 1. attached. 2. agreeing over something, usually over an appointment. E.g. "Eh u two steady liao ah?", "Today, come 3 o'clock? Steady." 3. cool, capable E.g. "Wa you sick also turn up for work ah? Steady!"stone - to space out; to do nothing. - BAKED.stun - To steal. See: Cope. Can be used as part of "Gostan". See gostan.take - to eat; to have a meal. E.g. "Have you taken your lunch?" "I don't take pork."uncle - a man who is middle-aged or older, especially not well acquainted; a younger person who behaves/dresses in an uncool/unfashionable manner. Comes from the Chinese languages, which refer the same group of men as 叔叔.until - To such an extent that. A direct translation of the Chinese expression 到. Usually used after an adjective or a verb to express an extraordinary extent. E.g. "bad until like that", "Hot until ah." world - nonsense; bullshit.