die liao

English

Etymology

die + liao (“indicates a change of state”), from Hokkien 了 (liáu) or Teochew 了 (liao²), with the tone of Mandarin 了 (liǎo).

Partial calque of Hokkien 死了 (sí liáu).

Pronunciation

• (Singapore) IPA^(key): /ˈdaɪ˦ ljaʊ˨˩/

Phrase

die liao

1. (Manglish, Singlish, intransitive, hyperbolic) Used to suggest that one is doomed, or as good as dead.

   Synonyms: (Manglish, Singlish) die already, si liao

   • 2001 September 19, destrius', Everything2‎^[1]:

     […] the exam so hard, i die liao lah (that paper was tough as hell, i'm sure to flunk).

   • 2014 February 9, Unregistered, “Engineer in SMRT”, in Salary.sg Forums:

     dont join smrt lar.. with their frequent breakdowns, they are facing alot of scrutiny from the public, stakeholders and regulators. anything goes wrong n they need a scapegoat den u die liao.

2. (Manglish, Singlish, intransitive) Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see die,‎ liao.