29 Essential Singlish Phrases You'll Need in Singapore

Note: English is the main language of business and education in Singapore, so it’s easy for English speakers to communicate and get around. These Singlish phrases are uniquely Singaporean additions to the language and will help you score some brownie points with the locals.

‘Can’ is an extremely versatile word, and a large portion of what it actually means depends very much on the tone used when speaking and/or the Singlish modifier you use with it.

An example conversation:

Can or not? (Can you do this?)
Can. (Yes I can.)
Can meh? (Are you sure?)
Can lah! (Yes of course!)

Onz (on-z) / Yes, I can confirm

A very succinct and colloquial way to confirm your participation in something, or an affirmation of your agreement/consent. Another popular (but older) term is Steady bom pi pi.

In tiny Singapore, any place that requires more than an hour to get to by public transport, or is particularly hard to find, can be considered ‘so ulu’.

Tompang (tohm-pung) / hitch a ride

If someone asks you whether they ‘can tompang?’, they are usually asking you to give them a lift somewhere, or to help them pass an item to someone else.

Gostan (go-stun) / to reverse or go backwards

A Singaporean version of the nautical phrase to ‘go astern’ (to the back of the ship), this phrase is most often used by lost drivers trying to find their way around.

This Malay term can be used to describe food (‘makan!’) or the action of having a meal (as in ‘let’s go makan’).

Tabao (da-bao) / Takeaway

This term is mostly used in hawker centres when you want to bag your food for takeaway. Some students also use this term when they flunk a test, e.g. ‘I tabao-ed my Maths exam’.

Shiok (she-oak) / very good!

Ate something delicious? ‘Shiok’ can be used for anything that gives you that indescribable awesome feeling. You’ll definitely make your stall owner happy if you tell them that the food was ‘shiok!’

Chope (joh-pe) / reserve

The Singaporean way of ‘chope-ing’ something is most commonly seen in hawker centres, with tissue packets indicating that the table is taken.

Lobang is a Malay word that means hole, but if you ask someone if they ‘got lobang?’, you are usually asking if they have any leads or opportunities for you. A ‘Lobang king/queen’ is someone who always has some opportunities to tell you about.

Kiasu (kyah-soo) / afraid of missing out

Singaporeans are often described as suffering from ‘Kiasu syndrome’, which covers selfish FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) behaviour like piling plates high with the most expensive food in the buffet line, or sending children to a multitude of enrichment classes before school even starts.

Atas (ah-taas) / snobbish or high-class

‘Atas’ is what the layman Singaporean sees as fancy, expensive or high-class (and in some cases, even snobbish). A more fun term to describe someone ‘acting atas’ is to call them a ‘yaya papaya’.

Spoil Market (spoy-mah-ket) / Overachieve

‘Don’t spoil market!’ is what you say when you want to someone to maintain the status quo and not raise the bar, thus making it hard for you and others to compete. For example, when it comes to the amount you tip or the effort you put into providing a service, it may be in your interests to not overachieve!

Confirm plus chop / Yes I am very, very sure

The ‘chop’ here is an old colonial term and reference to an ink stamp or seal that companies use to sign off officially on contracts. This means that a person is very sure of the accuracy of their words. Another similar term often used is ‘Double confirm’.

‘I jio you’ is to personally invite someone along – and when you find out your friends went to a cool party without you, ‘Bojio!’ is the most common accusation used to show your displeasure at being left out.

Kancheong Spider (kun-chee-ong-spider) / jittery or nervous

Someone calling you a ‘kancheong spider’ is basically saying that you need to chill out and not be so nervous about things.

Lim Kopi (Lim-koh-pee) / to drink coffee or to hang out

If someone asks if you have time to go and ‘Lim Kopi’, they be asking you to literally grab a coffee from the kopitiam (coffeeshop) with them, or just asking you to hang out (coffee optional).

Like ‘shiok’, ‘sian’ is a very concise way to describe anything that’s bothersome or gets you down. ‘Sian jit pua’ or ‘Sian half’ is a more colourful expression, but doesn’t actually mean the boredom is any less.

Gahmen (gah-murn) / The Singapore Government

This mangled form of the word ‘government’ can often be found on online forums, or used as a colloqualism when Singaporeans complain about anything political or the public service.

Jialat! (ji-ah-laht) / very bad!

A Chinese Hokkien term that translates literally as ‘eating strength’, this is a multi-purpose phrase you can use to exclaim about most things bad – whether it’s a person, behaviour or circumstance.

Merlion (mer-lion) / To vomit

The mythical half-lion-half-fish symbol of Singapore is not something you want to be compared to, unless you are spewing up your stomach’s contents – just like the famous statue does all day at Marina Bay.

Think you’re ready to take it to the next level? You’ve got the basics and essentials, but below our Singapore writer Prianka Ghosh takes you through some of her personal favourite Singlish phrases.
Catch No Ball
This phrase derived from Hokkien dialect, ‘liak bo kiu’, and is used to indicate that the speaker does not understand what is being said. For example, someone may say ‘Can you speak slower and repeat your idea again, I catch no ball’. It does not work the other way though! If you tell someone that you ‘catch ball’, they will be very confused if you’re lucky, or laugh in your face if you are not so lucky.
Die Die Must Try
This phrase is used to express that something is so amazing that the other person must try it, no matter what! For example, after going to a new restaurant your friend may call you and say ‘That restaurant makes the best assam laksa in Singapore, you die die must try’.
Talk Cock
No, it’s not what you’re thinking, the etymology of this phrase comes from 18th century English phrase, ‘a cock and bull story’, used to describe obviously untrue stories. When used in Singlish, it is implying that the person who is speaking isn’t saying anything useful or that they are talking nonsense. However, the longer version of this phrase, ‘talk cock sing song’ means to get together with friends to catch up and gossip.
Ang Moh
Originating in Hokkien, it translates to ‘red hair’. The term is generally used to refer to Caucasians of Western descent but can be used for Western expats in general. For example, ‘Clarke Quay is very popular with ang mohs’. If you’re in Singapore for any length of time, you will probably notice that there is a neighbourhood on the North East Line of the MRT named ‘Ang Mo Kio’. There are several theories behind this name, one of which is that a British family, the Windsors, had an estate near Upper Thomson in the 1920s. One day, their daughter went missing while playing near a bridge and after that the matriarch, Lady Jennifer Windsor went to the bridge every day hoping her daughter would be there.
Kantang
Originating from kentang, the Malay word for ‘potato’, this is a derogatory term used to described Singaporeans that are deemed too Westernized. This is due to the fact that they can only speak in English or other foreign languages, however, they never learned to speak their mother tongues fluently.
Paiseh
Another Hokkien term, this one means ’embarrassed’. In Singlish, a speaker is more likely to use it after making a mistake because they feel embarrassed, so a better translation now would be that it means ‘sorry’, such as ‘Paiseh, I’m late because I thought we were meeting tomorrow’.
Sabo
This Singlish term originates from the English word ‘sabotage’, however, the etymology of sabotage is based on the French, ‘sabot’, which meant poor quality work from a lazy or unskilled labourer. In Singlish, it targets someone to cause deliberate harm or try to get them in trouble. For example, a student may say to his friend, ‘Hey, don’t sabo me, please. I don’t want the teacher to ask me a question’.
Blur Like Sotong
Sotong is the Malay word for ‘squid’, and this phrase is used to describe someone who is slow at catching on or just generally clueless. It comes from the fact that squids use ink as a self-defense mechanism because the ink makes it hard for their predators to see and so their vision is blurred.

Feel prepared for your visit now? Enlist the guidance of a local guide to help make your trip run smoothly by booking one of these trips, tours and experiences in Singapore.