Dictionary

lah en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

/lɑː/
(Southern-England) audio

Etymology

An anglicised spelling of la.

Meanings

(alt-of, alternative) Alternative spelling of la.
alt of la

Forms

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
lahs	Number=Plur		lexicographic

lah en · PART · etymology 2

Pronunciation

[lɑh˨]
/lɑː/
[lä(ː)] (Malaysia, Singapore)
(Southern-England) audio
/lɑː/ (Malaysia, Singapore)

Etymology

From Malay lah, Hokkien 啦 (--la) and Cantonese 啦 (laa¹). Doublet of la in colloquial Hong Kong English. Lim (2007) lists multiple sources: * Bazaar Malay, for its use as a particle of emphasis (akin to Malay lah), and the senses expressing commands, invitations and "solidarity, familiarity [and] informality". * Hokkien 啦 (--la), which indicates finality, completion and confirmation-seeking, as well as "emphasis, persuasiveness, dismissiveness [and] listing". * Cantonese 啦 (laa¹), expressing a "general lack of definiteness or forcefulness", and for its role in softening commands.

Meanings

Placed at the end of a sentence to accentuate the mood or attitude of the speaker.
- Don’t do it lah, it’s not worth it.
- Don’t know lah […] this is very hard to say. 1978, Leong Choon Cheong, Youth in the Army, Singapore: Federal Publications, →OCLC, page 75:
- In a few months that have been both dispiriting and heartening with regard to public art […] is it any wonder that one of the most earnest things one can say to Singapore right now is: “Stop complaining, lah”? 2024 July 16, Clement Yong, “Theatre review: National Day Charade mimes familiar criticisms of NDP but doles out a lesson or two”, in The Straits Times, Singapore: Singapore Press Holdings Limited:
- Pitch contour: low-mid [lɑ(ː)˨], mid-falling [lɑː˧˨]
- Even if you don't know, just pretend as if you know-lah Mike. You are embarrassing me you know. 2007, Elangovan, P, Singapore, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 47:
- Hurry up, lah!
- Please lah, you want to save me, save me the headache. 2020, Stephanie Street, Dragonflies, Epigram Books, →ISBN, Act 2, scene 2, page 110:
Placed at the end of a sentence to convey reassurance or express solidarity.
- You won’t drown one lah. The water is very shallow.
- Pitch contour: low-mid [lɑ(ː)˨], mid-falling [lɑː˧˨]
- Don’t worry lah. We’ll meet the deadline. 1999, Alfian Sa'at, Corridor, Singapore: SNP Editions, →OCLC, page 15:
Indicates an attempt at expressing sympathy, conveying informality or sincerity, or establishing a rapport with the listener.
- Just try your best lah, and don’t think too much about it.
- You know that for tattooing, we are supposed to use disposable needles, right? Well, Joseph (Rough Face) will tell us not to throw them away after use. The next morning when I come into the studio, the needle box is always full again but the needles are without their original seal. You know why lah. 2022, Hunter Ng, As Coarse as Emporium, Jettison Books, →ISBN:
- I mean, I didn’t want to break the law, and I honestly went down to find out whether that place was OK to park or not. Let’s be fair lah, you can’t expect me to see one sign saying something and still go a long way to see if there is another one saying something else. 1990, Pao Kun Kuo, “No Parking On Odd Days”, in The Coffin Is Too Big For The Hole and Other Plays, →OCLC, page 63:
- I had Malay friends who were just turned away like that. It’s quite bad lah. 2016, Junjia Ye, quoting Jayakumar, chapter 5, in Class Inequality in the Global City: Migrants, Workers and Cosmopolitanism in Singapore, Palgrave Macmillan UK, →ISBN, pages 139–140:
- Aiyah, we will always chat or message what... We’ll keep in touch lah, hor? 2024, Jojo Chia, Afternoon Yuan Yang Club, Epigram Books, →ISBN:
- Pitch contour: low-mid [lɑ(ː)˨]
Placed at the end of an assertive statement to express denial or dismissiveness.
- “Papa, I’m telling you—the property was immense. It was like the Istana. The driveway itself went on for miles.” “Cannot be! Two or three acres I might believe, but fifty? No such thing, lah.” 2013, Kevin Kwan, chapter 3, in Crazy Rich Asians, Doubleday, →ISBN:
- — I don’t think you should be cutting corners, at least put in some effort and make it look legit. — They won’t care one lah... I don’t have all day...
- “No lah,” she had said, almost casually to his proposal. He was flabbergasted. 2011, Robert Yeo, The Adventures of Holden Heng, Epigram Books, →ISBN:
- Pitch contour: low-mid [lɑ(ː)˨], mid-falling [lɑː˧˨]
- No lah, they must look at it this way... even though the founder (Colonel Harland Sanders) of KFC has died, his recipe lives on. 2012 March 25, Maureen Koh, quoting Ha Wai Kay, “Her luck is in the duck”, in The Straits Times, Singapore: Singapore Press Holdings Limited, PEOPLE, pages 6–7:
- Don’t bother about him lah. Let’s pack up and get some sleep as we have a long day ahead. 2011, Siong Chye Sim, Once Bitten, Never Shy: Confessions of a Backpacking Diplomat, Armour, →ISBN, page 63:
Used after an assertive statement to reinforce its authoritativeness, or to show that the speaker is confident with what they are saying.
- Every once in a long while when someone asked why, he said: “No time-lah. So busy-leh.” 2007, Michael Vatikiotis, Singapore Ground Zero, Talisman, →ISBN, page 3:
- Pitch contour: low-mid [lɑ(ː)˨], mid-falling [lɑː˧˨]
- Eleven, eleven thirty, same same lah. 1997, Eric Khoo, James Toh, 00:27:01 from the start, in 12 Storeys:
- These shoes are too small lah.
- “Keretapi Tanah Melayu means railway lah thanggachi [தங்கச்சி (taṅkacci), term of address for a younger woman],” the man went on. “Means Malay Land Railway. Malay Land that means Malaysia lah [Sense 6], thanggachi, that also you don’t know ah? […] 2008, Preeta Samarasan, Evening Is the Whole Day, Fourth Estate, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 116:
- No need to count lah. I’m sure the number is right.
Asserts that something is clear, obvious or straightforward.
- Mud you can clean up. Cobwebs you can sweep away. Stains, use bleach lah! 2009, Jean Tay, Boom, Epigram Books, →ISBN, Act I, scene v, page 30:
- They’re not wrong lah... But they’re only taking themselves into consideration.
- Get a whiteboard marker and write over it lah.
- Pitch contour: falling [lɑ(ː)˦˨]
- Near-synonym: lor (sense 2)
- Nadirah: You never told me Sally was leaving. I didn't even have the chance to say goodbye. Sahirah: You visit her lah when you go to KL. 2009, Alfian Sa'at, “Nadirah”, in Collected Plays Three, Singapore, →ISBN, Scene ii, page 57:
Used to tone down an imperative sentence, so it sounds more like a request or suggestion.
- I remember my friends telling me, 'People already say you're an artist, then be one lah.' 2013 June 18, Huang Lijie, quoting Samantha Lo, “Sticking to budding artist label”, in The Straits Times, Singapore: Singapore Press Holdings Limited, LIFE! Arts, page 2:
- Pitch contour: falling [lɑ(ː)˦˨]
Indicates strong persuasion at the end of an imperative sentence.
- Pitch contour: mid-falling [lɑː˧˨]
- […] I say politely, No thank you, it’s okay. But he insists, Take lah, never mind, no need to pai-seh! 2014, Danielle Lim, The Sound of SCH: A Mental Breakdown, A Life Journey, Ethos Books, →ISBN:
- Don’t waste your time there lah.
Indicates a retrospective remark or a reassessment of one’s opinion.
- Different priorities lah these days. 2021 December 9, Ilyas Sholihyn, Rainer Cheung, quoting Syed, “20 Years On, What Do Singaporeans Remember About JI’s Failed Bomb Plot?”, in ricemedia.co, archived from the original on 09 Dec 2024:
- Pitch contour: low-mid [lɑ(ː)˨], mid-falling [lɑː˧˨]
- — Not many people would think of using a pressure cooker. — I mean, it’s pretty unconventional lah, I have to admit.
- Oh well, it was xiong, but overall OK, lah. 1994, C. S. Chong, NS: An Air-Level Story, Singapore: Times Books International, →ISBN, page 58:
- He said that in the past, […] a teacher might admonish a noisy class and say: “4N(T), keep quiet!” Immediately, all the N(T) students felt that they were singled out. Today, the teacher would say: “NCC, keep quiet!” and the Normal stream students feel: “Okay lah.” 2019 March 5, Ong Ye Kung, “Committee of Supply – Head K (Ministry of Education)”, in Parliamentary Debates: Official Report (Parliament of Singapore), volume 94:
- Interviewer: But what is expensive to your parents? Like $50 for a dress? Lola: Er ... it’s not that bad lah. 2022, Bernice Loh, chapter 4, in Tween Girls' Dressing and Young Femininity in Singapore: Too Much, Too Young, Too Fast?, Springer Nature Singapore, →ISBN, page 94:
Reinforces a suggestion with the implication that it is the more practical option.
- Pitch contour: low-mid [lɑ(ː)˨], mid-falling [lɑː˧˨]
- The nearest train station is 15 minutes away. I think we take the bus lah, hor?
- Use the mittens lah.
Indicates confirmation-seeking at the end of an inferential statement.
- Pitch contour: falling [lɑː˦˨]
- In other words, you’re the one who started it lah!
- “Huh? SAP school? Oh, you mean Chinese schools lah.” 2019 June 4, Ethel Pang, “As Long As SAP Schools Exist, ‘Chinese Elitism’ in Singapore Will Exist”, in ricemedia.co, archived from the original on 10 Feb 2025:
Used to express realisation, or vexation when something is already obvious.
- When Richard was going to join Anglo-Chinese School I expected the father to bring him to see the Headmaster, after all he was from ACS himself, but he couldn't be bothered. (Emily imitates Kheong's brusque brush-off) 'You look after it, you arrange it lah!' 1983, Stella Kon, Emily of Emerald Hill, →ISBN, Act 1, page 14:
- Do it yourself lah! Always need me to help is it?
- So in the end it wasn’t my fault lah!
- Pitch contour: falling [lɑː˦˨]
(uncommon) Reinforces the factuality of an assertive statement made to correct an inaccurate, underlying assumption.
- Pitch contour: mid-rising [lɑ(ː)˧˦]
- Oh wait it’s not today, lah. It’s on Sunday.
(uncommon) Used to convey a slight sense of dissatisfaction or irritation.
- Pitch contour: mid-rising [lɑ(ː)˧˦]
(uncommon) Used for enumeration (when listing examples).
- He teach them how to cook lah, learn computer lah... […] 2010, Haresh Sharma, Those Who Can't, Teach, Epigram Books, Act I, scene ii:
- Pitch contour: mid [lɑː˧]
(Malaysia, in Singapore, uncommon) An assertive separator, used to reverse the order of the usual topic–comment structure of a sentence.
- No fun lah, you.
- Pitch contour: low-mid [lɑ(ː)˨]
- “Who lah that Panjali? A real ‘number nine’ [From Tamil ஒன்பது (oṉpatu), a derogatory term for a transgender person].” “You don’t play a fool you know. He is not a ‘number nine’, not a hermaphrodite, but a man. He is the one who has been cross-dressing and performing the role of Panjali for many years.” 2014, Latha [K. Kanagalatha], The Goddesses in the Living Room, Singapore: Epigram Books, →ISBN, page 102:
(uncommon) Used sarcastically.
- No lah, no lah.
- Pitch contour: low-mid [lɑː˨], (in the example below) high-mid [lɑ(ː)˦]