SG Bumper Cars
Uncle's Singlish Dictionary
Singlish is the English of Singapore's streets, stirred together with Hokkien, Malay, Cantonese and Tamil. The game's cast speaks nothing else, so here are the 40 words you will hear most, what they mean, and where they came from.
Particles. They carry no meaning of their own and change the feeling of everything before them. Get these and you have most of Singlish.
particle
Say it lah, like the 'la' in la-la-la
A little word added to the end of a sentence to set its tone. It can make a statement firmer, a request friendlier, or show impatience. It has no meaning of its own.
Everyday and informal, the best-known Singlish particle. 'Come on lah' coaxes; 'No lah' softens a refusal. The tone of voice decides the feeling.
Comes from From Malay and Hokkien, which both end sentences with a word like it.
particle
Say it like the 'le' in 'let', cut short
A sentence-ending particle that adds a tentative or persuasive note: it softens a request, or hints at doubt or a mild complaint.
'Help me leh' is a gentle plea; 'Why you never tell me leh?' is a soft complaint. Informal and friendly.
Comes from From Chinese: Cantonese or Hokkien, and scholars differ on which.
particle
Say it like 'law', with no r sound
A sentence-ending particle of resignation or obviousness: that is just how it is, nothing more to be done, or the answer is plain.
'Then go home lor' shrugs it off. It can sound resigned or a little dismissive. Informal.
Comes from From Cantonese "lo", a particle of resignation.
particle
Say it meh, rhymes with 'heh'
Turns a sentence into a doubtful question, like 'Really? Is that so?' It shows surprise or skepticism.
'Can meh?' means 'Is that even possible?' Informal. Not the same as the English shrug word 'meh'.
Comes from From Cantonese "me", for a doubtful yes-or-no question.
particle
Say it like 'haw', with no r sound
A sentence-ending particle that asks the listener to agree or to take note, like 'right?' or 'okay?' tacked on at the end.
'Quite boring, hor?' invites agreement; 'Remember to call me hor' is a friendly reminder. Informal.
Comes from From Chinese: Hokkien and Cantonese both have one.
particle
Say it see-ah, said quickly as one beat
An emphatic word tacked onto the end of a remark to show surprise, admiration, frustration or disbelief, a bit like 'man!' or 'wow' in English.
Very casual, mostly among younger speakers: 'Shiok sia!' Fine with friends, out of place in anything formal.
Comes from Clipped from a Malay curse word. In Singlish it has softened into plain emphasis.
particle
Say it lee-ow, one quick syllable, like 'meow' with an L
Means 'already' or 'now': it marks that something has happened or that things have changed, often with a sense that it is too late.
'Finish liao' means it is done; 'Die liao' means we are in trouble now. Casual.
Comes from From Hokkien "liao", the marker for a finished action.
What you shout at the traffic, the weather and the fella who cut in.
exclamation
Say it eye-yoh
A cry of dismay, pain, frustration or surprise, like 'oh no!' or 'oh dear!'
Everyday and harmless, said by all ages: 'Aiyoh, I forgot my wallet!'
Comes from A Chinese exclamation. Tamil and Sinhala have a similar "aiyo" of their own.
exclamation
Say it ah-lah-mahk
An exclamation of surprise, alarm or dismay, like 'oh no!' or 'oh my goodness!'
Everyday and harmless in Singapore and Malaysia: 'Alamak, I left my phone in the taxi!'
Comes from From Malay. Where Malay got it from is not settled.
exclamation
Say it wah-lao, the second part rhymes with 'how'
An exclamation of disbelief, frustration or exasperation, roughly 'oh my goodness!' or 'you must be kidding!'
Very common and casual, often stretched out as 'wah lau eh'. Expresses annoyance, so it is not for polite company.
Comes from From Hokkien or Teochew. What the "lau" once referred to is disputed.
exclamation
Say it wah-lao, rhymes with 'how'
Another spelling of 'wah lau': an exclamation of disbelief or exasperation, roughly 'oh my goodness!'
Same word, same feeling as 'wah lau'. Often 'walao eh'. Casual, not for polite company.
Comes from The same word as "wah lau", spelled the way it sounds.
exclamation
Say it ah-boo-den
'Of course! What else?' A sarcastic reply to a question with an obvious answer, like 'duh'.
Cheeky and a bit sarcastic, so for friends: 'Do I need to go to work tomorrow?' 'Abuden?'
Comes from From Hokkien "a-bo" (if not, or else) plus English "then".
Describing words for people, places and the state of your nerves.
describing word
Say it kyah-soo
So afraid of losing out that you always grab the first place in the queue, the free sample or any extra advantage. It can also mean a person like that.
Usually teasing or self-mocking; Singaporeans often call their own habits kiasu. Said of someone else, it can sound disapproving.
Comes from Hokkien, literally "afraid to lose".
describing word
Say it kahn-chyong
Anxious, flustered, in a nervous hurry. The kind of panic that makes you rush and make mistakes.
Common and casual, often a gentle telling-off: 'Don't so kanchiong, the bus will wait.'
Comes from From Cantonese "gan zoeng", nervous or tense.
describing word
Say it jyah-laht
Terrible, dire, in serious trouble: things have gone badly wrong.
A groan when things go badly: 'Jialat, I forgot to switch off the oven!' Casual, not rude.
Comes from Hokkien "chiah lat", literally "eats your strength".
describing word
Say it see-ow, one syllable, like 'meow' with an S
Crazy or mad. Also said on its own, 'Siao!', to mean 'that is ridiculous' or 'are you out of your mind?'
Casual, often joking: 'You want to drive to Johor now? Siao!' Can sound rude if aimed at a person seriously.
Comes from Hokkien for mad or crazy.
describing word
Say it pie-seh
Embarrassed, shy or sheepish. On its own it also means 'sorry' or 'excuse me', for a small awkward moment.
Polite and gentle: 'Paiseh, I am late.' Often shortened to 'ps' in text messages.
Comes from Hokkien "phai-se", embarrassed.
describing word
Say it see-en, said as one quick syllable
Bored, fed up, weary of something dull or repetitive. Also said alone as a sigh: 'Sian...'
Casual grumble: 'Monday again, so sian.' Often stretched for effect, or written 'sianz'.
Comes from Hokkien for tired or weary.
describing word
Say it shee-ok, said fast as nearly one syllable
Wonderful, delicious, deeply satisfying. Said of great food, a cold drink on a hot day, or anything that feels really good.
Enthusiastic praise, often as an exclamation: 'Wah, shiok!' Casual and friendly.
Comes from From Malay "syok", pleasing or enjoyable.
describing word
Say it ah-tahs
Posh, upmarket, high-class. Also snobbish or stuck-up, someone acting above others.
Can be admiring ('atas restaurant') or a dig at someone ('so atas, don't eat at hawker centre').
Comes from Malay for "above" or "over".
describing word
Say it oo-loo
Remote, out of the way, far from everything. Used for a place that is hard to get to or has nothing around it.
Casual, often a mild complaint: 'Your house so ulu, no MRT nearby.'
Comes from Malay for the head of a river, the far interior.
describing word
Say it rhymes with 'team'
Deep, profound or complicated; hard to understand. Used for a tricky idea, a difficult exam question, or someone who talks above your head.
Casual and often teasing: 'Wah, so cheem, I catch no ball.' Can be admiring or mock-impressed.
Comes from Hokkien or Teochew "chhim", deep.
describing word
Say it as in English
Calm, capable and reliable under pressure. Also said alone, 'Steady!', as praise: 'Nice one! Well done!'
Warm praise among friends: 'Steady lah!' The longer 'steady pom pi pi' is a playful, slightly old-fashioned version.
Comes from English, in a sense borrowed from a Hokkien word for cool and capable.
phrase
Say it bway tah-hahn
Cannot stand it any more, cannot take it. Used for heat, pain, noise, or an annoying person.
Casual complaint: 'This traffic, I buay tahan already!' A neat mix of two languages in two words.
Comes from Hokkien "bue" (cannot) plus Malay "tahan" (endure): two languages in two words.
Verbs, most of them borrowed from Malay and all of them used daily.
doing word
Say it kuh-nah
To get hit with something unpleasant: a fine, a scolding, bad luck, food poisoning. It works like 'got' in 'got caught'.
Always for bad things happening to you: 'kena fine', 'kena scolded'. Casual, very common.
Comes from Malay, to be hit by or struck by something.
doing word
Say it rhymes with 'rope'
To reserve or claim something, especially a seat at a food centre, often by leaving a packet of tissues on the table to mark it.
Everyday and harmless, like calling 'dibs': 'Go chope a table first.'
Comes from Disputed: a "chop" stamp, or a Malay call from a children's game.
doing word
Say it tah-pow, rhymes with 'now'
To get food packed to take away, or the takeaway food itself.
Everyday hawker-centre word: 'Eat here or tapau?' Also spelled 'dabao' or 'tapao'. Neutral.
Comes from From Cantonese "da bao", to pack up.
doing word
Say it mah-kahn
To eat. As a noun it also means food or a meal, as in 'Let's go makan'.
Used by everyone, every day, with no edge at all: 'Let's go makan', 'makan time'.
Comes from Malay, to eat.
doing word
Say it luh-pahk
To hang out and relax with no particular plan: loafing, chilling, killing time.
Friendly and casual: "Weekend just lepak at home."
Comes from Malay, to loaf about.
doing word
Say it go-stan
To reverse a vehicle, to back up.
Everyday driving talk in Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei: 'Missed the turn, gostan a bit.' Casual.
Comes from From the ship's order "go astern", by way of Malay.
doing word
Say it sah-boh
To sabotage someone, get them into trouble, or set them up to fail, often for your own advantage. Also used for a prank.
Often jokey between friends ('You sabo me!'), but can be a real accusation of backstabbing.
Comes from Short for English "sabotage".
doing word
Say it peng-sahn
To faint, to pass out. Usually said jokingly about being worn out or shocked.
Mostly playful exaggeration: 'Climbed five floors, nearly pengsan.' Casual.
Comes from Malay, to faint.
Bigger pieces: friends, money, invitations and the moment you stop understanding.
noun
Say it kah-kee
A buddy you regularly do something with: a makan kaki shares meals, a mahjong kaki makes up your table.
Warm and casual, usually with an activity in front: 'my kopi kaki', 'my football kaki'.
Comes from Malay "kaki" (legs, and the people who go with you), perhaps merged with a Hokkien word for "our own people".
noun
Say it doo-it koh-pee
Literally 'coffee money': a polite-sounding name for a small bribe, as if it were only enough to buy someone a coffee.
Disapproving, and used in jokes, complaints and the news. Singapore used "coffee money" the same way decades ago.
Comes from Malay, literally "coffee money".
phrase
Say it boh jyoh
'You never invited me!' A complaint about being left out of an outing, a meal or a party.
Almost always said in jest, as friendly teasing: 'Went for supper without me? Bo jio!'
Comes from Hokkien "bo chio", literally "never invite".
phrase
Say it as written, run together quickly
'Is it possible? Are you able to? Is that okay?' Tacked onto the end of a request or question.
Neutral as a plain question ('Pay by card, can or not?'), but can be a challenge: 'You do it yourself, can or not?'
Comes from English words in a Chinese question pattern, like Hokkien "e sai bo".
phrase
Say it as written
Absolutely must, no matter what. Insisting on doing something whatever it costs.
Playful and emphatic, often about food: 'This chicken rice, die die must try.' Not morbid at all.
Comes from English "die", doubled for emphasis, plus "must".
phrase
Say it as written
To not understand at all, to miss the point completely, as if the ball sailed past you.
Casual, often self-deprecating: 'The teacher explained twice, I still catch no ball.'
Comes from Hokkien "liah bo kiu", translated word for word.
phrase
Say it sotong is soh-tong
Totally confused, clueless, slow to catch on. Literally 'as blur as a squid'.
Teasing, mildly insulting, often aimed at yourself: 'Sorry, I blur like sotong today.'
Comes from English "blur" (confused) plus Malay "sotong" (squid).
phrase
Say it poh-tong steem
To spoil the fun or kill the mood. Somebody who does it is a buzzkill.
Said when someone or something ruins an exciting moment: 'Rain started just as we arrived, potong stim.' Casual.
Comes from "Potong" is Malay for cut.
Singlish is spoken, not written down by a committee, so spellings wander and some origins are still argued over. Where the sources disagree, this page says so rather than picking a side. The meanings and origins here were checked against:
The pronunciation hints are rough English spellings to get you close, not phonetics. The uncle's lines are his, from the game and its website, and none of them is a quotation from anybody real.
Free on Google Play
Put uncle in your pocket
On iPhone and iPad
Put it on your home screen