Why do singaporeans say lah

When British Malaya disintegrated to make way for the Federation of Malaysia in , Singapore became a political component of independent Malaysia until George P. The way their native languages influenced their spoken English inadvertently shaped informal Singlish and Manglish to what they are today.

The similarities and differences between Malaysia and Singapore are as varied as they are subtle. It is a verbal time capsule, proving that their stories did intersect once upon a time, binding both countries in an intricate web woven from years gone by, spanning years present and, most likely, years to come.

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Give us feedback. If you're tasked to brave the crowd for a seat, do it like a Singaporean. Don't say "I'll get a table", say "I chope lah". People actually 'chope' by placing a tissue packet or any other handy items they can afford to lose on the table - that's something you can try. How to use it: "Be considerate, just chope for four people, don't be too kiasu. Everyone has FOMO - fear of missing out. We get it, it's human nature. In Singapore we call this 'kiasu'.

But unlike the English term FOMO we're used to, 'kiasu' is often used for calling out on someone's selfish behaviour. How to use it: "These aunties shoved into the crowd just for a freebie. How kiasu leh! One does not simply just use 'lah' in Singapore. Another expression you'll hear a lot is 'leh', which is a softer version of 'lah'.

You can also use it to express uncertainty or doubt. Handy isn't it? Remember the last time you got into an embarrassing situation? Here's the word for it - 'paiseh'. You can use it as a simple 'sorry', or as an adjective to describe the sheepishness you felt. How to use it: "Oops paiseh I didn't see the queue" or "I was too paiseh for ask for extra portion lah, but the uncle still gave me one, by the way food so shiok.

Singapore is a cosmopolitan city. No matter if you're trying out the local delicacies, or visiting the landmarks at Marina Bay or Sentosa, you'll see plenty of pleasant surprises. Want to say something's cool? Here's the Singaporean word - 'shiok'. How to use it: "The place we went to last time so shiok, let's go again! About us. Contact us. Written by Cam Khalid Thursday 2 April Discover the best of the city, first. We already have this email.

Try another? Paiseh pie-say. Alamak ah-lah-mak. I forgot to feed the cat! Atas ah-tahs. Siao see-ow. Bo jio boh-chyoh. Sian see-anne. Kiasu kee-ah-soo. Tabao dah-bao. Shiok she-oak.