Singlish Dictionary
The meaning, pronunciation and real usage of 210 Singlish expressions — Singapore's own way with English. Tap any word to hear locals say it.
#
- ..then you know! — A warning or reminder, suggesting consequences
A
- abit — A little
- Abuden — Obviously or "Isn't it obvious?"
- act blur — to act ignorant or innocent
- act cute — To pretend to be cute or to put on a cutesy behavior
- action — showing off or pretentious
- Agak agak — estimate or roughly
- Aiya — Oh no! or an exclamation of dismay
- Aiyoh — expression of surprise, distress or disappointment
- Alamak — expression of surprise or frustration
- Always like that one — That's always the case or typical behavior
- ang moh — a Caucasian person
- Anything lor — Whatever or doesn't matter
- Arrow — to assign someone a task, usually unpleasant
- atas — high class or sophisticated
B
- barang barang — Stuff or things
- belanja — To treat someone to something, often a meal
- blur — confused or clueless
- blur like sotong — very confused or clueless
- bo bian — no choice or no other way
- Bo liao — meaningless or nothing better to do
- bo(h) eng — Not free or too busy
- bo(h) liao — Bored or having nothing better to do
- bo(h) zheng hu — Absence of governance or authority
- bochup — don't care or indifferent
- bodoh — Stupid or foolish
- bojio — did not invite
- Boleh — can do or able to do
- buay gan/kan — Useless
- Buay pai — Not bad or pretty good
- Buay sai — Cannot do or not up to standard
- buay song — Not satisfied or unhappy
- buay steady — Not reliable or unstable
- buay tahan — cannot stand or tolerate
- buaya — A playboy or someone insincere in romance
C
- Can also can, cannot also can — Either way is acceptable
- can or not? — Is it possible?
- catch no ball — don't understand or confused
- chao keng — to pretend to be sick to avoid work or duty
- char bor / zha bo — Woman or girl (impolite)
- chee ko pek — A lecherous man
- cheem — deep or profound, usually used to describe something difficult to understand
- chey / cheyyy — Expression of disappointment or realization that something isn't as impressive as thought
- chin chai — Easy-going or not fussy
- chio bu — Attractive woman or girl
- Chiong — to rush or to go full speed
- Chop chop — Quickly or hurry up
- chope — to reserve a seat, usually by placing a packet of tissues on it
- chui — Lousy or not up to standard
- CMI — cannot make it, not up to standard
- cockanaathan — blundering fool
- Come, I clap for you — sarcastic remark for someone who thinks highly of themselves
- confirm plus chop — absolutely certain
D
- dao — Snobbish or arrogant
- Diam — quiet or shut up
- Die already — Oh no, I'm in trouble
- die die — must do, no matter what
- die die must try — must try at all costs
- Don't fly my kite/aeroplane — Don't stand me up or break a promise
- double confirm — to confirm again for certainty
- du lan — Extremely angry or pissed off
- Dunno leh — I don't know, often used when unsure
E
G
- garang — Fierce or with a strong spirit
- Geh kiang — smart alec or over-smart
- GG — Short for "good game", used when something is doomed or in a hopeless situation
- gone-case — Something or someone that's hopeless or in an irreparable situation
- goondu — fool or stupid
- Gostun — Go backwards, derived from "go astern" used in navy
- Got problem ah? — Is there an issue?
- Guai Lan — Being a troublemaker or difficult
H
- hantam — to do something without thinking or without a plan
- Hao lian — To show off or be boastful
- heng — lucky or fortunate
- Ho seh bo? — How's it going? Or is it good?
- Hong gan — To get into trouble or mess something up
- hosei / ho seh / ho say — Great or fantastic; can be used sarcastically when things go wrong
- Huat — prosper or to strike it rich
- hum ji / humji / hum chi / humchi — Cowardly or scared
I
- Issit/Izzit? — Is it?
J
- jelak — Feeling of over-satiation from consuming something too rich or eaten in excess
- jia lat / jialat — Oh no! or in a dire situation
- jiak zua — Eat snake, which means to skive off work or duty
- jialat — in trouble or a dire situation
- jio — To invite or ask someone out
K
- kanchiong — anxious or nervous
- kantang — potato, used to describe someone who is westernised or acts western
- kao buay peh kao bu — Kicking up a fuss
- kaypoh — a busybody or nosy person
- kayu — Stupid or dull unfair
- kee siao — Going crazy or nuts
- kena — to get hit, affected, or in trouble
- Kenasai — Terrible or awful (sometimes used as an expletive)
- khi chia — Ride a bicycle Something that is very bad
- khiam pa(h) — Stingy or miserly Asking for a beating
- kiap — to pinch or to sandwich
- kiasi — afraid of dying or overly cautious
- kiasu — a fear of losing out
- kilat — Done in an excellent way
L
- lagi — Even more or furthermore
- lah — a particle used for emphasis at the end of a sentence
- lao — old or aged
- Lao kui — Embarrassed or to lose face
- lau jiao — old bird, experienced person
- leceh — troublesome or annoying
- leh — used for emphasis
- lepak — to relax or hang out
- liao — Finished or done
- liddat — like that
- Liddat oso — Even for something like that
- lightbulb — A third wheel or someone who hangs around couples
- Like that also can!? — Exclaiming surprise over someone's actions or situations
- lim kopi — to drink coffee, often used to imply a casual meeting or catch up
- limpeh — your father, sometimes used to refer to oneself
- lobang — opportunity or connection
- lor — a particle indicating resignation or acceptance
M
- macam — As if or like
- Mai lai — Don't want or don't want to be associated with it
- mai tu liao — don't wait anymore or hurry up
- makan — to eat
- Malu — Embarrassed
N
- nabei — vulgar expression of annoyance or frustration
- Nia — only or just
- no horse run — no competition or easy victory
- No link — Irrelevant or not related
- Not happy, talk outside! — Used as a challenge to a fight to settle an argument
O
- on the ball — alert or attentive
- onz — agree or confirm
- Orbi good — Serves you right
- orh hor — caught in the act or in trouble
- Own time own target | OTOT — at one's own pace
P
R
- Rabak — Severe, terrible or chaotic
- Relak lah! — Relax or calm down
- relak one corner — to relax or take it easy
S
- sabo — to sabotage or cause trouble
- sakar — To flatter someone insincerely
- saman — A ticket, usually a traffic or parking fine
- sampat — Silly or crazy
- See first — Let's see or decide later
- seh — Feeling great or satisfied
- Sekali — What if
- shag — tired or exhausted
- shiok — extremely delicious or satisfying
- Si mi tai dzi — What stuff or nonsense
- Sia la — An exclamation of disbelief
- sia(h) — Express surprise or disbelief
- siam — To move away or dodge
- sian — feeling down or bored
- sian / sien — Feeling bored or disappointed
- Siao — crazy or insane
- sibe(h) / si be(h) — Very or extremely
- sibei — very or extremely
- simi / si mi — What
- simi sai — what the heck or what nonsense
- slow-po(ke) — Someone slow in understanding or reaction
- solid — Excellent or awesome
- song — good, enjoyable, or satisfactory
- Spoil market — to raise expectations unfairly
- steady — reliable, good, or unflappable
- step — Pretend or act
- stone — To zone out or not respond
- sua ku — mountain turtle, used to describe someone who is ignorant or not up-to-date
- Suan — To mock or make fun of
- suay — unlucky or unfortunate
- sui / swee — Pretty or great
- suka — Like or pleased
- swee — good or nice
T
- tak boleh — Cannot
- Tak boleh tahan / Buay tahan — cannot stand it or unbearable
- talk cock — talk nonsense or engage in idle chatter
- tan ku ku — Waiting in vain
- tapao / ta bao — take away (food)
- tekan — Press down, or to give someone a hard time
- terbalik / tembalik — Upside down or opposite
- terok — Terrible or awful
- tio — got or received (usually something negative)
- tok kong — superb or excellent
- Tolong — help
- towkay / tow kay — Boss or business owner
- Tyco — Lucky
U
- Ulu — remote or rural
V
- very the — Very or extremely
- vomit blood — Extremely frustrated or exasperated
W
- wa(h) se(h) — Expressing admiration or surprise
- wah lau / wah piang — an expression of disbelief or exasperation
- walao / walao eh — expression of disbelief, annoyance or exasperation
- wayang — to put on an act or to pretend
- What time already — Used to express impatience or indicate that someone is late
- where got — No way or impossible
- White horse — a term used for the children of influential or wealthy people
- Why you so liddat ar? — Questioning someone's unexpected behavior or actions
- win liao lor — expression used sarcastically to indicate that someone has done something ridiculous or unbelievable
X
- xiasuay — disgraceful or embarrassing
Y
- yandao — Handsome
- yaya papaya — arrogant or showing off
- You ask me I ask who? — A rhetorical question indicating one doesn't know the answer
- You say leh — Seeking someone's opinion or asking what they think; can also be used sarcastically to indicate someone is asking a dumb question
- your grandfather's road ah? — A retort to someone acting too entitled or arrogant
- Your head — Used sarcastically to indicate disbelief or that someone is talking nonsense
Z
Learn Singlish properly
The Singlish app teaches all 210+ expressions with timed lessons, spaced repetition, quizzes and more examples — every one recorded by locals.
