Think you know your Singlish? We picked out some of the Singlish language’s most useful phrases so you can do things like order coffee like a pro (yes, entirely in Singlish) and talk like a local.
Order Your Coffee
Kopi
Coffee with condensed milk
Kopi-siu dai
Coffee with condensed milk and less sugar
Kopi-si
Coffee with evaporated milk and sugar
Kopi-si kosong
Coffee with evaporated milk and no sugar
Kopi-o
Coffee with sugar and no milk
Speak Like a Local
Lah
A suffix used to place emphasis on the sentence or word before
“Don’t worry about it lah!”
Chope
To reserve a place or call dibs on something
“Can you chope a seat for me?”
Kiasu
A fiercely competitive spirit
“She queued for four hours to get the latest iPhone – so kiasu!”
Alamak
The Singlish equivalent of “Oh my gosh”, or “Oh man”
“Alamak! Tickets for the concert are all sold out!”
Can or not?
A way of asking if something is possible/can be achieved
“Dinner at 7? Can or not?”
Shiok
Fantastic, or to convey feelings of satisfaction and pleasure
“This plate of chicken rice is damn shiok.”
This article was published in the first edition of Honeycombers’ Singapore Insider (Jan-Mar) print guide. Want more? Download the full guide in PDF format, or visit Your Singapore.