28 Common Singlish Or Singaporean Slang You Need To Know

When I first saw the movie Crazy Rich Asians, I remember noticing the use of the simple word “lah.” I mean, I also noticed a lot of things throughout the film. And I would totally say more… except I’m afraid of spoiling things for you, so for now my lips are sealed.

Anyway, “lah” was something I could never ever shake off. In my opinion, the use of “lah” was so memorable, and it added a bit of life to the story. If you haven’t noticed it, watch the film and tally how many times “lah” is mentioned.

Moving on, I learned that “lah” is one of the many Singlish words out there. It is used a lot in real life by many people. Not just in movies, of course. However, the slang term doesn’t really have an actual meaning. In fact, this popular three-letter word is used to highlight a point, an expression, or a statement like: “don’t worry, lah” or “okay, lah.” Do you see what I mean?

What is Singlish?

Singlish is a portmanteau of the words Singapore and English and it is used in Singapore. It is a language (an English-based creole language, to be exact) whose vocabulary is influenced by a lot of Asian languages like Malay, Hokkien, Mandarin, Chinese, Tamil, Teochew, and Cantonese.

1. makan: eat; the Malay word for “eat”
2. atas: to be fancy; to be posh
3. shiok: an expression of admiration, delight, pleasure, satisfaction; a way to describe a very delicious and tasty food
4. eh sai: something to describe something that is doable
5. bo liao: feeling bored
6. zhng: to redecorate something
7. siao: a Hokkien term that means crazy or insane
8. sian: to describe a feeling of boredom or sometimes frustration
9. lobang: aka tips, deals; helpful and beneficial information
10. chiong: to hurry; to put everything you’ve got into finishing something
11. steady: aka sounds good
12. lim kopi: to grab coffee and hang out
13. boleh: Malay word that means possible
14. alamak: aka OMG; aka oh no; an expression that shows surprise, dismay
15. dabao: to pack food and drinks to be eaten somewhere else; takeaway food; food packed to go
16. bojio: a Hokkien term that means “not invited;” when someone uses this Hokkien term in a conversation, it usually means they haven't been invited anywhere and are feeling upset about it
17. OTOT: acronym for the phrase “own time, own target” which means to do something at your own pace
18. can: aka yes; aka sure; aka can do
19. lepak: to relax; to do nothing
20. chope: to reserve a seat at a restaurant or eatery before the food is ordered
21. paktor: to go on a date with someone
22. chao ta: a Hokkien term that is used to describe food that is slightly burnt or charred
23. shag: to feel very tired (NOT similar to the British shag)
24. yaya papaya: another way to describe someone arrogant, snobbish, pretentious
25. eye power: a phrase to describe someone who just stands around, seemingly incapable of providing any assistance, and just letting their eyes stare
26. diam: aka be quiet or shut up
27. come, I clap for you: a very sarcastic way of complimenting someone
28. why you so liddat: aka why are you so like that