liao

See also: Liao, liáo, liào, liāo, and liǎo

English

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Hokkien 了 (liáu) or Teochew 了 (liao²). Tone and spelling influenced by Mandarin liǎo.

Alternative forms

• leow, (in set phrases) lo, loh

Pronunciation

• (Singapore) IPA^(key): [ljaʊ˨˩], (interrogative) [ljaʊ˨]

Particle

liao

1. (Singlish, Manglish) Indicates perfective aspect (action completion) or change of state.

   Synonym: (Singlish, via semantic loan) already

   I run 4 laps liao. ― I just ran 4 laps.

   It’s going to rain liao. ― It’s going to start raining soon.

   Reach liao, give me a call. ― Give me a call when you’ve reached.

   You decorate the cake liao? ― Have you decorated the cake yet?

   Damn shag liao, need to go back and sleep. ― I’m really tired now, I need to go back and sleep.

Related terms

• mai tu liao
• win liao lor

 

See also

• bo liao (unrelated etymologically)
• (Singlish particles): ah, hor, know, lah, leh, lor, mah, meh, one, sia, what

Etymology 2

From Mandarin 料 (liào, “ingredients”).

Pronunciation

• (Singapore) IPA^(key): [ljaʊ˦˨]

Noun

liao (uncountable)

1. (Singapore, colloquial) Meats, vegetables, and other solid ingredients and garnishes added to an otherwise plain dish.
   • 2012, Tan Tarn How, Fear of Writing, Epigram Books, →ISBN, scene: 35, page 72:

     Bak Chor Mee, less mee, Auntie. No extra liao today.

   • 2019 June 18, ieatishootipost, Instagram:

     Had this hearty bowl of bak chor mee today at Blk 58 New Upper Changi Road market. […] This is the $5 bowl with extra liao. […]

   • 2019 August 24, Yeo Boon Ping, quoting Zachary Tang, “If Zi Char Dishes Were In A Battle Royale, Which Would Come Out Tops?”, in ricemedia.co‎^[1], archived from the original on 12 July 2024:

     But for all the eggs and liao (ingredients) you have, it isn’t gao (strong).

Usage notes

Mainly used by Chinese Singaporeans and other speakers familiar with Mandarin.

Anagrams

• Aloi, Oail, Iola

Mandarin

Romanization

liao

1. Nonstandard spelling of liāo.
2. Nonstandard spelling of liáo.
3. Nonstandard spelling of liǎo.
4. Nonstandard spelling of liào.

Usage notes

• Transcriptions of Mandarin into the Latin script often do not distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without indication of tone.