Commonly found variants; note these may range from acceptable alternatives to
non-standard forms or incorrect spellings*.
* Singlish is a largely spoken creole, and as such descriptivism (recording forms that reflect actual pronunciation in spoken language, or as appearing in the linguistic corpus) is more pertinent than strict prescriptivism. Nevertheless, the use of more standard forms (or for words originating in languages with Latin script, such as Malay, accurate to the original spelling) is recommended and encouraged.
* Singlish is a largely spoken creole, and as such descriptivism (recording forms that reflect actual pronunciation in spoken language, or as appearing in the linguistic corpus) is more pertinent than strict prescriptivism. Nevertheless, the use of more standard forms (or for words originating in languages with Latin script, such as Malay, accurate to the original spelling) is recommended and encouraged.
also can:
chiah chao chia chao jiak chau chiah chow jiak chow
jiak chao 1
→
Hokkien:
食
poj:
chia̍h
+
草
poj:
chháu
Detailed etymology
definitions
verb
- to be or to go broke; to be unable to afford even food or daily necessities
Lim Seng went into severe debt when his businesses all failed in one fell swoop due to Covid. He was only spared from having to jiak chao because of the help and support of his old friends and neighbours.
synonyms:
adjective
- broke; penniless; impoverished; desperate
Despite how infamously rich Singapore is, let's not forget the many unfortunate jiak chao people who have fallen through the cracks in our society.
related:
jiak chao 2
→
Hokkien:
食
poj:
chia̍h
+
Min nan:
臭
poj:
chhàu
Detailed etymology
definitions
verb
- to play foul; to cheat; to play dirty
The other team all jiak chao but the referee kayu, never do anything...
synonyms: