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Singlish vocabulary

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Main article: Singlish

Singlish is the English-based creole spoken and written colloquially in Singapore. Although English is the lexifier language, Singlish has its unique slang and syntax, which are more pronounced in informal speech.

Word origins

Singlish vocabulary formally takes after British English (in terms of spelling and abbreviations), although naming conventions are in a mix of American and British ones (with American ones on the rise). For instance, local media have "sports pages" (sport in British English) and "soccer coverage" ("soccer"—originally slang for Association football—while used in Britain, is more usually called just "football"). Singlish also uses many words borrowed from Hokkien, the Chinese dialect 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. This is most obvious in such cases as "borrow"/"lend", which are functionally equivalent in Singlish and mapped to the same Mandarin word, "借" (jiè), which can mean to lend or to borrow. For example: "Oi, can I borrow your calculator?" / "Hey, can lend me your calculator?"

Singlish dictionaries and word lists

File:Coxford Singlish Dictionary.jpg
The Coxford Singlish Dictionary, a light-hearted lexicon of Singlish published in 2002.

There have been several efforts to compile lexicons of Singlish, some for scholarly purposes, most for entertainment. Two early humorous works were Sylvia Toh Paik Choo's Eh, Goondu! (1982)[1] and Lagi Goondu! (1986).[2] In 1997 the second edition of the Times-Chambers Essential English Dictionary[3] was published. To date, this is the only formal dictionary 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,[4] a light-hearted lexicon which was developed from material posted on the website Talkingcock.com. In 2004 a website, A Dictionary of Singlish and Singapore English, 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 an amateur lexicographer, the Dictionary appears to be one of the more comprehensive and professionally-written dictionaries dealing exclusively with Singlish and Singapore English available so far.

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 stand 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.

Singlish vocabulary

A list of Singlish terms and expressions widely used in Singapore is set out below. It is not exhaustive 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.

0–9

Term Origin Definition
4D Singlish Local 4 digit lottery game run by Singapore Pools.
5Cs Singlish Refers to the 5 C's of Singapore (cash, car, credit card, condominium, country club membership).
11B Singlish Army official vernacular. Refers to the Singapore Armed Forces Identity Card held by servicemen during their draft. Servicemen's original civilian identity cards before their enlistment are exchanged with these SAF identity cards.

A

Term Origin Definition
Action English In this context, the term means that the person being described is arrogant and haughty.
Act Blur English and Cantonese To play innocent.
Act Cute English and Cantonese A phrase which describes behaving in an exaggeratedly cute or adorable fashion. Can be used as both verb and adjective. Usually performed by females who appear they cannot escape their childhood.
Agak-Agak Malay An estimate [5]
Agak-Ration Malay and English An estimate or estimation.
Ar? Cantonese and Mandarin Originated from the Chinese term "啊". Used in this case within questions and rhetoric where opinions and affirmations are being sought.
Ah Beng Hokkien A transliteration of the Chinese name "阿明". A hillbilly, someone with little dress sense. Also used to refer to a gangster [6] The expressions came about because Ah Beng is a common Chinese male name.
Ah Lian Hokkien Female form of Ah Beng, A hillbilly, someone with little dress sense. Also used to refer to a gangster [6] The expressions came about because Ah Lian is a common Chinese female name.
Ah Long Cantonese A transliteration of the Chinese name "阿窿", which is a shortened form of "大耳窿". Slang term for "loanshark".
Ah Tiong Hokkien A transliteration of the Chinese term "阿中", usually used simply as 'Tiong'. Refers crudely to Chinese nationals.
Ai See Hokkien Transliteration of the Chinese term "要死". Used to describe someone on thin ice.
Ai See Buay See Hokkien Transliteration of the Chinese term "要死不死". Used to describe someone on thin ice.
Ai Tzai Hokkien Used in a reassuring manner to calm people down.
Aiyah Chinese Sometimes used as "Aiyoh". Transliteration of the Chinese terms "哎呀" and "哎唷”. Chinese equivalent of "Oh No!", "Oh Dear!". Another derivative of the term, Ai-Yoh-Yoh (Chinese: 哎唷唷), was popularized by the Mediacorp drama series Good Morning, Sir!.
Akan Datang Malay Means "coming soon", as seen in movie trailers. Used to reassure an impatient person.
Alamak Portuguese Phonetically close to the Chinese term "Oh, my mother!". It expresses shock or surprise.
Amacam Malay A contraction of the Malay word "Apa macam", which is used as a greeting, similar to "What's up?".
An Zhua? Hokkien Hokkien equivalent of "What's up?"
Ang Moh Hokkien Literally means "red hair 红毛". A pejorative term for people of Caucasian descent.[7]
Ang Moh Pai Hokkien Literally means "red hair faction 红毛派". A pejorative term for Chinese Singaporean who speaks poor Chinese and usually prefers to speak or often uses a lot of English in a conversation. It can sometimes refer to "westernized Chinese Singaporean" (banana).
Ang Pau Hokkien Red packet with money to be given on Chinese New Year or during some occasion like wedding, birthday party and so on as a wishes to the receiver.
Arbo Hokkien Means "What else?" or "How else?". Usually used as an answer to a question with an obvious answer.
Arrow English To delegate an unpleasant or boring task to someone. Term derives from the military and government's practice of stamping a tiny arror next to the name of the person in official documents.
Atas Malay Literally means "upstairs". Used to describe a snobbish and arrogant person.
Auntie English A generic address for middle aged or elderly woman.[8] It may also refer to a young woman who dresses very unfashionably.
Ayam Malay Literally means "chicken". Used to describe someone who is easily intimidated.
Ah Bu Den/Ah Den Singlish Obviously; of course. Corruption of the phrase "ah then?"

B

Term Origin Definition
Balik Kampong Malay Pack up things and go home.
Berak Malay To defecate.
Belanja Malay To give someone a treat.
Blur English Clueless. In a daze, unaware of what is going on.[9]
Bodoh Malay Stupid, ignorant.[9]
Boh Gay Hokkien Hokkien pronunciation of "无牙", which literally means "no teeth". Usually used to describe someone with a missing tooth.
Boh Liao Hokkien Hokkien pronunciation of "无聊", which means "boredom". A slang expression to describe being in a situation of idleness. Also used to describe an act of doing something silly.
Boleh Malay Can; possible.
Bo Jio Hokkien Never ask me go.
Botak Malay Used to describe someone bald. This term inspired the famous Botak Jones in Singapore.[10]
Buay Hokkien Means "cannot".
Buaya Malay Literally means "crocodile". Refers to a womanizer or flirt.[11]
Buay Tahan Hokkien and Malay Combination of the Hokkien term "buay" and Malay term "tahan". Means "unable to withstand" or colloquially "cannot stand it"
Buay Pai Hokkien Literally means "not bad". This is commonly used for food, saying that it isn't very bad or no bad. It can also be applied in people too.

C

Term Origin Definition
Chao Hokkien Used to refer to foul smells. It may also be used to describe cheating or playing foul (Jiak Chao) in a game.
Chao Keng Hokkien 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 Hokkien Someone who mugs a lot because he is kiasu.
Char Bor Hokkien Girl/Woman.
Cheena Peranakan A crude term used as a reference to people from Mainland China.
'Cher (Tcher) Singlish Corruption of "teacher".
Chicken Business English and Cantonese Direct translation of the Cantonese slang "做雞", which means to prostitute oneself.
Chee Bye Singlish The English equivalent would be 'cunt'.
Chee Ko Pek Hokkien Hokkien slang for "pervert" .
Chim Hokkien Hokkien pronunciation of "深", which means "difficult". Used to describe something or a situation that is extremely hard to understand or comprehend. Variants include nouns such as chim-inology, chim-ness.
Chin Chai Hokkien Hokkien pronunciation of "隨便". When applied colloquially, it means "anything" or "whatever". Used in situations when one does not feel like making a decision and wants another to help him/her make a decision. Can also be applied to situations to do something in a half-heartedly manner.
Chio Bu Hokkien Hokkien equivalent of "hot chick". Used to describe a beautiful and attractive woman.
Chinaman English A crude term to call immigrants or foreign workers from the PRC.
Chop Singlish Refers to stamp or seal.[12] From Malay cap, which is from Hindi छाप ćhāp (stamp).[13]
Chop Chop English Used to tell someone to do something fast.
Chope Singlish Slang for reserving a seat.[13] Derived from chop; to leave a mark. Singaporeans have a habit of leaving objects on seats/tables to reserve places.
Clusterfuck English Vulgar slang for a large group crowding around a certain location to the point where frustration sets in for the inconvenienced individual to refer to them as an orgy. As a noun, "Wah! Y'all crowd around there become one big clusterfuck!".
Come Again Singlish Repeat - Say again.
Confirm plus Chop Singlish Shortened from "confirm plus guarantee got chop" To mean that you are extremely sure of something (derives from National Service/Military situations where one needs to be absolutely sure about something; guarantee got chop denotes that the paperwork will be approved).

D

Term Origin Definition
Double Confirm Singlish Confirm and reconfirm. Used to emphasis the confirmation.

E

Term Origin Definition
Eye-Power English Used to describe someone who does not contribute in group work and watches while others do the work. The term probably originated from the X-Men character Cyclops from Marvel Comics.
Encik Malay Literally means "Mister" in Malay. When used in the military, it refers to any sergeant major (by appointment, not by rank) in the Singapore Armed Forces.

G

Term Origin Definition
Gabra Singlish Used to describe confusion or disorganisation.[14]
Gahmen Singlish Corruption of "government". Derived from the hasty mispronounciation of the actual word. In the modern context, it is used as substitute for the actual word when criticizing the government in written form to prevent possible legal action taken against the writer.
Garang Malay Literally means "fierce". Used to describe someone courageous.
Ger Singlish Corruption of "girl".
Gone-case English Means that one's doom is confirmed.
Goondu Tamil Tamil equivalent of "idiot".[15]
Gostan Malay Means to reverse or go in the backward direction. Originates from the nautical phrase "go astern".
Gu Gu Singlish Means guy's private part (crude).

H

Term Origin Definition
Hao Lian Hokkien Slang term for "boast".
Heng Hokkien Hokkien pronunciation of "幸", which means to be lucky or fortunate.

I

Term Origin Definition
Imba English Meaning too strong or imbalance compared to those who are common.
Ini Macam Malay Means to be very certain.

J

Term Origin Definition
Jiak Hokkien Hokkien pronunciation of the Chinese term "吃", which means to eat.
Jiak Chao Hokkien Literally means to eat grass. It may refer to being in a situation of having no money for daily expenses (i.e. broke). It may also mean to play foul in a game (slightly different pronunciation).
Jiak Kantang Hokkien and Malay Literally means 'eat potato'. Formed by the Hokkien term "Jiak 吃" (eat) and Malay term "Kentang" (potato). It is 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 (eating rice). Also refers to someone displaying a western English accent that is not authentic: referring to the sound that one would make while attempting to speak with a mouthful of potato.
Jia Lat Hokkien Literally means "sapping strength". Used to describe being in trouble or a terrible situation.
Jibra Singlish Corruption of "zebra".
Jilo Singlish Corruption of "zero".
Jibai Singlish Vulgar term for the female sexual organ; or the English equivalent of 'cunt'.

K

Term Origin Definition
Kayu Malay Means to cheat, in terms of describing soccer matches which have been fixed ("referee kayu"). Also used to describe lack of spontaneity. (Lit. "wood")
Kampung Malay Means "village". Sometimes spelt as "kampong".[16][17]
Kar Chng Hokkien Buttocks.
Kaypoh Hokkien Hokkien transliteration of the Chinese slang term "雞婆", which refers to a busybody.[18] Sometimes abbreviated to "kpo".
Kena Malay Means to be afflicted with or to suffer from something.[19]
Kena Sai Malay and Hokkien A pejorative term in which "kena" means to be afflicted with and "sai" means "shit". Means to "get into deep shit" or get into deep trouble.
Kilat Malay Means "excellent". Commonly used in the military. (Lit. "lightning")
Kiasu Hokkien Literally means to be afraid of losing. Transliteration of the Chinese term "惊输".[16][19]
Main article: kiasu
Kiasee Hokkien Literally means to be afraid of dying. Used in the same manner as "kiasu". Transliteration of the Chinese term "惊死".
Kiam Hokkien Transliteration of the Chinese term "咸" which literally means "salty". Used to describe a stingy person.
Kope Singlish Means to copy from someone without permission. It may also mean to steal from someone.
Kopitiam Malay and Hokkien Literally means "coffee shop". "coffee shop" in Singapore refers to "food centre".

L

Term Origin Definition
Lah Singlish Tagged at the end of a sentence as an exclamation but pronounced differently in questions.[20][21][22]
Lan Jiao Hokkien Means guy's private part (crude).
Leh Singlish Tagged at the end of a sentence in a similar manner as "lah". Used to emphasize the sentence.
Liao Hokkien/Chinese Means "already" or "over". Sometimes used as a substitute for the "already" used in Singlish, especially by Chinese-speaking people.
Lim Peh Hokkien Literally means "your father". Used to refer to oneself when imposing one's authority on someone.
Long Bang Hokkien/Chinese Pronounced as long bar-ng, which means in Chinese, 顺便, also means by helping. Also related to the Malay word 'lobang' which means hole, as used to refer to a contact or source of help or needed resource.

M

Term Origin Definition
Mah Mandarin Usually tagged at the end of a question.
Macam Malay Means to resemble something.
Makan Malay To eat.[23]
Mampat Malay Tight/firm. Usually referring to a woman's posterior or clothing.
Masak-Masak Malay Child's play. "Masak" by itself refers to cooking.
Mata Malay Literally means "eye". Used as a reference to the police.
Mati Malay Literally means to die. "Die" in the Singapore context means to be doomed.
Mong Cha Cha Cantonese To behave in a "blur" manner and be unaware of what is going on around.
Mug English To study diligently.

N

Term Origin Definition
Ngeow Hokkien Literally means "cat". Used to describe someone who is overly meticulous or tries to find fault in everything. Can also be used to refer to someone stingy.[24]
Neh Neh Pok Hokkien Commonly used to refer to nipples. May also refer to breasts although "Neh neh" normally refers to breasts.

O

Term Origin Definition
Obiang Unknown Used to describe someone or something that is desperately out of fashion. Other variations include "orbit".
Orbi Unknown May be used as a single term or combined to form "orbi kwek" or "orbi good", which means "serves you right".
ORD English Short-form of "Operationally Ready Date", which refers to the date on which a National Serviceman completes his National Service.
ORD loh Singlish Army slang. An exclaim made by servicemen close to completing his two-year mandatory service term in the army to provoke jokingly his counterparts who have yet to see the end of their service terms.
O$P$ Singlish "Owe Money Pay Money". Used in threats from loan-sharks. From Chinese expression.

P

Term Origin Definition
Pang Seh Hokkien Hokkien slang for 'to be stood up (at an appointment), or cancelled upon at the last minute'. Not to be confused with 'pang sai', which means 'to defecate'.
Pak Zamn Hokkien Literally means "needle injection". Used to describe something faulty or not usable.
Pariah Indian/Hindi Used to describe something unsightly or disgusting. Used to describe the lowest and most unsightly caste (gravediggers and sewerage in Ancient India). In modern times, it is also used to describe something or someone of low quality.
Pasar Malam Malay Refers to the night markets.[25][26]
Pai Kia Hokkien Hokkien slang for "hooligan" or "gangster". Literally means "bad kid". Commonly used to scold kids who doesn't appreciate their parents.
Pai Seh Hokkien Means to be embarrassed. Usually used as an apology after making an embarrassing mistake.
Pak Tor Cantonese/Hokkien Dialect pronunciation of the Chinese slang term "拍拖", which means to go on a date.
Photostat English To make a photocopy.
Pia Hokkien To work hard at something, or to rush something (such as homework).
Pok Kai Cantonese Means to go broke. Also used to curse people.

Q

R

Term Origin Definition
Return back English To give back. Direct translation from the Chinese phrase.
Revert English To reply. Often used in email and text messages.

S

Term Origin Definition
Saman Malay Used for traffic summons. (Lit. "to fine/summon")
Sam Seng Cantonese and Hokkien or Sam Seng Kia - gangster.
Sargen Singlish Corruption of "sergeant".
Sakar Malay To flatter, to lick one's boots. Derived from Malay 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'.
Sekali Malay Pronounced SCAR-ly. Lest, what if.
Shiok Punjabi Great! An expression of satisfaction. Originally "shauk" in Punjabi.
Showflat English An event held by an estate agency that spans several weeks to promote a housing project, usually condominiums.
Sia Malay An exclamation.
Siam Hokkien "Get out of the way!" Considered rude but effective.
Sian Hokkien Bored, tired, or sick of something.[27]
Siao Hokkien Refers to either "crazy" in response to a silly suggestion or an offensive term used to address a friend.
Sibeh Hokkien Similar to "very".
Sod Cantonese Used to express a machine, person, or object that has gone mental or haywire.
Song Hokkien, Cantonese (爽) Used to express pleasure. Lit. "refreshing". Same meaning as Shiok.
Sotong Malay Forgetful or not knowing what is going on. Lit. "squid".
Stun Singlish To steal. See: Cope. Can be used as part of "Gostan". See: Gostan
Suaku Hokkien Not well informed or backward; a country bumpkin. Lit. "mountain tortoise".
Suay Hokkien Unlucky.[28]

T

Term Origin Definition
Ta Pau Cantonese Take away (used only when cooked food is concerned).
Tai Ko (also spelled "tyco") Hokkien Lucky (only used sarcarstically). Literally "leper".
Talk Cock/Tok Kok Singlish Talking nonsense/senselessly. Probably originated from the English expression "cock and bull story".
Tekan Malay Bully/Torture. Military slang for punishments.
Terbalek/Tombalek Malay Opposite/Upside-Down/Inside-Out.
Thiam/Diam Hokkien/Malay A very rude way of saying "shut up!"
Toot Singlish Stupid/Silly.

U

Term Origin Definition
Un Unknown Abbreviation for understand.
Ulu Malay Used to describe a rural or remote area or county person.[29] Commonly found in road names around Singapore as well.
Uncle Singlish Used as a generic title for males who are middle-aged or older, especially those who are not well acquainted.[30] Similarly to auntie, used by young children to denote respect for a female adult
Also used to describe a younger person who behaves/dresses in an uncool/unfashionable manner.

V

Term Origin Definition
Very the Singlish Singlish phrase emphasising 'very', directly transliterated from the Chinese 非常的 (fēi cháng de), which means the same. Usually employed with a clearly sarcastic tone.

W

Term Origin Definition
Walao/Wah Piang/Wah Seh/Wah Kao Hokkien Exclamation of shock.
White Horse English The son of a government official or other influential person. Term derives from the military practice of identifying such individuals during Basic Military Training with a stamp of a horse. [citation needed]
Womit Singlish Mispronunciation of "vomit".

X

Term Origin Definition
Xia Lan Hokkien Arrogant; egotistic; pretentious.
Xia Suay Hokkien Disgrace; embarrassment.

Y

Term Origin Definition
Your Head Singlish Mild curse used to disabuse someone of his or her erroneous assumption. Directly transliterated from Chinese "你的头".
Yandao Hokkien A handsome male.

Z

Term Origin Definition
Zai Hokkien to be very good in something.

Food and beverages

See also: Cuisine of Singapore

Singlish is prominently used in local coffee shops, or kopitiams (the word is obtained by combining the Malay word for coffee and the Hokkien word for shop), and other eateries. Local names of many food and drink items 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.

NOTE: Hokkien is NOT Singlish. Only local dishes which have no other English terms would then be considered Singlish. However, drinks in local coffeeshops have slowly evolved into their own Singlish jargon, in a mix of Malay, Hokkien and English - which would be considered Singlish in this context. (Please see section on Drinks)

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:

Chze Char
(Hokkien) Literally means cook and fry. 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.
Char Kway Teow
(Hokkien) Fried flat rice noodles with bean sprouts, Chinese sausages, eggs and cockles, in black sweet sauce, with or without chilli.
Chwee Kuay
(Hokkien) cup shaped steamed rice flour cakes topped with preserved vegetables (usually radish) and served with or without chilli
Ice Kachang
Crushed ice with flavoured liquids poured into them. Beans and jelly are usually added as well.
Kaya
(Malay) Local jam mixture made of coconut, sugar and egg of Straits Chinese origins
Kaya-roti
(Malay) Toasted bread with Kaya
Mee Goreng
(Chinese/Malay) Malay fried noodles
Otah
(Malay) Fish paste wrapped in banana leaf or coconut leaves and cooked over a charcoal fire. South East Asian influence - you can find similar versions in Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia
Popiah
(Hokkien) Chinese spring rolls (non fried). 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. Origins from China. Hokkien and Straits Chinese (Nonya) popiah are the main versions.
Rujak
(Malay) local salad of Malay origins. Mixture of sliced cucumber, pineapple, turnip, dried beancurd, Chinese doughsticks, bean sprouts with prawn paste, sugar, lotus buds and assam (tamarind).
Roti John
(Malay/English) Indian version of western hamburger comprising of 2 halves of French loaves fried with egg and minced beef/mutton. Colonial origins.
Hokkien hae mee (Hokkien/Fujian prawn noodles; 福建蝦麺)
Refers to either the Penang prawn noodle or Singapore prawn noodle. Soup based (Penang) and stir fried (Singapore). 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 (water spinach) is common in the Penang version
Hokkien char mee (Hokkien/Fujian fried noodles; 福建炒麺)
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.

Beverages

Types of tea
Teh
(Hokkien/Malay) Tea
Teh-O
(Hokkien) Tea without milk but instead with sugar.
Teh-O-ice-limau
(Hokkien-English-Malay) Home brewed iced lemon tea
Teh-C
(Hokkien/Malay-Roman alphabet) Tea with evaporated milk. The C refers to the Carnation brand of evaporated milk.
Teh-cino
Tea version of cappuccino
Teh-Peng
(Hokkien) Tea with ice.
Teh-Poh
Weak or thin tea.
Teh-kosong
Plain Tea.
Teh-kah-dai
Tea with more sugar and milk.
Teh-siu-dai
Tea with less sugar and milk.
Teh-pua seo
Luke-Warmed tea.
Teh-O-kah-dai
Tea with more sugar.
Teh-O-siu-dai
Tea with less sugar
Teh-C-kah-dai
Tea with more milk.
Teh-C-siu-dai
Tea with less milk.
Teh-packet or Teh-pao
Tea to go.
Teh-Tarik
'Pulled' tea with milk, a Malay specialty.
Teh-Halia
Tea with Ginger
Teh-Halia Tarik
Pulled tea with milk (tarik) and Ginger
Types of coffee
Kopi
(Hokkien/Malay) Coffee
Kopi-O
Coffee without milk
Kopi-C
Coffee with evaporated milk. The C refers to the Carnation brand of evaporated milk.
Kopi-Peng
(Hokkien) Coffee with ice.
Kopi-packet or Kopi-pao
Coffee to go.
Kopi-pua seo
Luke-Warmed coffee.
Kopi-gao
Thick coffee.
Kopi-poh
Weak or thin coffee.
Kopi-kosong
Plain coffee.
Kopi-kah-dai
Coffee with more milk.
Kopi-siu-dai
Coffee with less milk.
Other beverages
Bandung
(Malay) Rose syrup-milk drink, of Indian origins. (Goat's milk was used in the old days)
Ice kosong
(English-Malay) 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
(Hokkien; literally means football or soccer) Milo; Nestlé Milo often uses soccer and other sports as the theme of its advertisement.
Tak Kiu-Peng
Iced Milo
Tiau Herr
(Hokkien; literally means fishing). Tea with the tea bag. Reference to dipping of tea bag.

The above list is not complete; for example, one can add the "-peng" suffix (meaning "iced") to form other variations such as Teh-C-peng (tea with evaporated milk and ice) which is a popular drink considering Singapore's warm weather.

English words with different meanings in Singlish

  • follow - to come along/accompany [31] - "Can follow anot?"
  • having here - to eat in at a restaurant. The antonym is "take away" or "tah-bao".
  • help, lah - please, do lend me a hand by desisting from whatever it is you are doing; help me out here - "Help lah, stop hitting on my sister"
  • last time - previously, in the past [32] - "I last time want to go Africa, but now don't know 'ready." [33]
  • 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...' (Not to be confused with the Americanism, meaning assault with intent to rob).
  • marketing - going to the market or shops to buy food - Rare expression."My dad may help in the marketing side, by going to the market to get some things." [34]
  • next time - in the future - "Next time when you get married, you'll know how to cook." [33]
  • on, off - to switch on/off - "I on the TV"
  • on ah - It's settled then?
  • open - to turn on a light - "I open the light." [35] (Derived from Chinese, which uses the verb "to open" in this manner. Use of "open" to mean "turn on" is limited specifically to lamps or lights.)
  • pass up - to hand in - "Pass up your homework". Although once common, usage is now discouraged in schools.
  • revert - to get back (commonly used in business emails) - "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 (i.e. drive) somebody somewhere - "She gets her maid to send the boy in a cab." [36]
  • solid/steady - capable; excellent - "Solid sia, that movie." See also "Kilat"
  • sabo - to play a trick on someone. Short for "sabotage", but with an everyday usage.[37] - "Because he sabo me, now boss mad at me!"
  • stay - to live (in a place).[38] From Malay "tinggal". - "My grandmother, my aunt and uncle also stay next door." [34]
  • steady - attached (in relationships) OR agreeing over something, usually over an appointment - "Eh u two steady liao ah?", "Today, come 3 o'clock? Steady."
- cool, capable (to praise integrity or strength) - "Wa you sick also turn up for work ah? Steady!"
  • stone - to space out; to do nothing
  • take - to eat; to have a meal [39] - "Have you taken your lunch? I don't take pork."
  • tok kok - (talk cock) - Probably from the English "cock and bull story". Talking senselessly/rubbish; "Don't tok kok lah!"

Expressions

  • Blur like sotong - literally 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!"
  • Don't fly my kite/aeroplane - Rare expression. A Singlish expression which means 'Please do not go back on your word' or 'Please do not stand me up'
  • Don't play play! - Uncommon expression, popularised by the local comedy series Phua Chu Kang Pte Ltd. Used only to evoke humour. Means 'Don't fool around' or 'Better take things seriously'
  • Got problem ah? - an aggressive, instigatory challenge. Or an expression of annoyance when someone is disturbed. 'Do you have a problem?'
  • He still small boy one - a remark (Often offensive) made against someone who is not of a legally median age allowed by the law. Or expression used to excuse someone because he is either immature or still too young to know the difference.
  • Issit/Izzit? - lazy/bastardised form of "is it?" Used in various contexts, to question in both positive and negative forms, or as a response in a rhetorical quizzical manner. E.g.: You going home now issit? E.g.: You not going home issit? E.g.: Someone comments: "You look good today." Answer: "Issit??"
  • Last time policemen wear shorts! - a retort made to someone who refers to how policies were made in the past. Or in response to something which is passe. Or to brush aside old references or nostalgia. Direct reference to the British colonial police forces who wore three-quarter khaki pants in the 1950s and 60's.
  • Liddat oso can!? - (English - Like that also can?) In response to feats of achievement or actions which are almost impossible, or unexpected. Usually with tinge of awe, sarcasm or scepticism.
  • My England not powderful! - (English - My English is not powerful (good)) Uncommon expression, used only to evoke humour. Literally means 'My English is not good'.
  • no fish prawn oso can - accepting a lesser alternative (direct translation of the Hokkien idiom "bo hir hay mah hoh.")
  • Not happy, talk outside! - Used as a challenge to a fight to settle an argument, by taking it outside. (Hokkien: Ow buay gong (settle it at the back/alley way))
  • No horse run! - (Hokkien - Bo bei chow) Original Hokkien expression used in horse racing jargon to describe a champion horse which is way ahead of the field. Used to describe things (food usually) which are ahead of its peers.
  • On lah!/On!/Set! - "It's on!"; expression used to voice enthusiastic agreement or confirmation (of an arranged meeting, event etc.)
  • Relak lah! - (Malay-English for Relax) Expression used to ask someone to chill, cool it.
  • ..then you know! - Expression used at the back of a sentence to emphasise consequence of not heeding advice. 'Tell you not to park double yellow line, kena summon then you know!'
  • Why you so liddat ar? - (English - Why are you so "like that"?) 'an appeal made to someone who is being unreasonable.'
  • You think, I thought, who confirm? - army expression used during organisational foul ups. Generally used as a response to "I thought..." when something goes wrong.
  • You want 10 cent? - Means to "buzz off!" Refers to public phones that require 10 cents per call.
  • Your grandfather's place/road ah?, Your father own this place/road? - Used to cut someone down to size in terms of their obnoxious boorish behaviour, behaving as if they owned the place.
  • You play where one? - Used to challenge someone to state his gang affiliations (if any)

~ As long as you are exposed to Singlish spoken by native speakers, you will be able to understand at least the most basics of Singlish.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Toh, Paik Choo (1982). Eh, Goondu!. Singapore: Eastern Universities Press. ISBN 9971-71-168-0.
  2. ^ Toh, Paik Choo (1986). Lagi Goondu!. Singapore: Times Books International. ISBN 9971-65-224-2.
  3. ^ Times-Chambers Essential English Dictionary (2nd ed. ed.). Singapore: Federal Publications. 1997. ISBN 981-01-3727-3. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help)
  4. ^ The Coxford Singlish Dictionary. Singapore: Angsana Books. 2002. ISBN 981-3056-50-9.
  5. ^ Brown, Adam (1999) Singapore English in a Nutshell, Singapore: Federal, p. 3.
  6. ^ a b Brown, Adam (1999) Singapore English in a Nutshell, Singapore: Federal, p. 5.
  7. ^ Brown, Adam (1999) Singapore English in a Nutshell, Singapore: Federal, p. 16.
  8. ^ Wong, Jock (2006) 'Contextualizing aunty in Singaporean English', World Englishes, 25 (3/4), 451-466.
  9. ^ a b Brown, Adam (1999) Singapore English in a Nutshell, Singapore: Federal, p. 33.
  10. ^ Brown, Adam (1999) Singapore English in a Nutshell, Singapore: Federal, p. 35.
  11. ^ Brown, Adam (1999) Singapore English in a Nutshell, Singapore: Federal, pp. 37-38.
  12. ^ Tongue, R. K. (1979) The English of Singapore and Malaysia, Singapore: Eastern Universities Press, p. 69.
  13. ^ a b Brown, Adam (1999) Singapore English in a Nutshell, Singapore: Federal, p. 50.
  14. ^ Brown, Adam (1999) Singapore English in a Nutshell, Singapore: Federal, p. 92.
  15. ^ Brown, Adam (1999) Singapore English in a Nutshell, Singapore: Federal, p. 95.
  16. ^ a b Wee, Lionel (1998) 'The lexicon of Singapore English'. In J. A. Foley et al. (eds.) English in New Cultural Contexts: Reflections from Singapore, Singapore: Singaore Institute of Management/Oxford University Press, pp. 175-200.
  17. ^ Deterding, David (2007) Singapore English, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, p. 75.
  18. ^ Brown, Adam (1999) Singapore English in a Nutshell, Singapore: Federal, p. 121.
  19. ^ a b Brown, Adam (1999) Singapore English in a Nutshell, Singapore: Federal, p. 123.
  20. ^ Richards, Jack C. and Tay, Mary W. J. (1977) 'The la particle in Singapore English', in William Crewe (ed.), The English Language in Singapore, Singapore: Eastern Universities Press, pp. 141–56.
  21. ^ Deterding, David and Low Ee Ling (2003) 'A corpus-based description of particles in spoken Singapore English', in David Deterding, Low Ee Ling and Adam Brown (eds.), English in Singapore: Research on Grammar, Singapore: McGraw-Hill Education (Asia), pp. 58–66.
  22. ^ Wee, Lionel (2004) 'Redupliation and discourse particles'. In Lisa Lim (ed.) Singapore English: A Grammatical Description, Amsterdam: John Benjamins, pp. 105-126.
  23. ^ Brown, Adam (1999) Singapore English in a Nutshell, Singapore: Federal, p. 135.
  24. ^ Brown, Adam (1999) Singapore English in a Nutshell, Singapore: Federal, p. 147.
  25. ^ Brown, Adam (1999) Singapore English in a Nutshell, Singapore: Federal, p. 158.
  26. ^ Deterding, David (2007) Singapore English, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, p. 76.
  27. ^ Brown, Adam (1999) Singapore English in a Nutshell, Singapore: Federal, p. 195.
  28. ^ Brown, Adam (1999) Singapore English in a Nutshell, Singapore: Federal, p. 215.
  29. ^ Brown, Adam (1999) Singapore English in a Nutshell, Singapore: Federal, p. 229.
  30. ^ Tongue, R. K. (1979) The Engish of Singapore and Malaysia, Singapore: Eastern Universities Press, p. 68.
  31. ^ Brown, Adam (1999) Singapore English in a Nutshell, Singapore: Federal, pp. 85-6
  32. ^ Brown, Adam (1999) Singapore English in a Nutshell, Singapore: Federal, p. 128.
  33. ^ a b Deterding, David (2007) Singapore English, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, p. 80.
  34. ^ a b Deterding, David (2007) Singapore English, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, p. 81.
  35. ^ Brown, Adam (1999) Singapore English in a Nutshell, Singapore: Federal, p. 154.
  36. ^ Deterding, David (2000) 'Potential influences of English on the written English of Singapore'. In Adam Brown (ed.) English in Southeast Asia 99: Proceedings of the 'English in Southeast Asia' conference held at NIE Singapore, Singapore: National Institute of Education, pp. 201-209.
  37. ^ Brown, Adam (1999) Singapore English in a Nutshell, Singapore: Federal, pp. 187
  38. ^ Brown, Adam (1999) Singapore English in a Nutshell, Singapore: Federal, p. 211.
  39. ^ Brown, Adam (1999) Singapore English in a Nutshell, Singapore: Federal, p. 217

References

  • Ho, Mian Lian and Platt, John Talbot (1993). Dynamics of a contact continuum: Singapore English. Oxford: Clarendon Press; New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-824828-8.
  • Lim, Lisa (2004). Singapore English: a grammatical description. Amsterdam; Philadelphia: John Benjamins. ISBN 1-58811-576-3.
  • Newbrook, Mark (1987). Aspects of the syntax of educated Singaporean English: attitudes, beliefs, and usage. Frankfurt am Main; New York: P. Lang. ISBN 3-8204-9886-9.
  • Platt, John Talbot and Weber, Heidi (1980). English in Singapore and Malaysia: status, features, functions. Kuala Lumpur: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-580438-4.
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