See lah in All languages combined, or Wiktionary
{
"etymology_number": 1,
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "la"
},
"expansion": "",
"name": "etymid"
}
],
"etymology_text": "An anglicised spelling of la.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "lahs",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "lah (plural lahs)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"alt_of": [
{
"word": "la"
}
],
"categories": [
{
"kind": "topical",
"langcode": "en",
"name": "Music",
"orig": "en:Music",
"parents": [
"Art",
"Sound",
"Culture",
"Energy",
"Society",
"Nature",
"All topics",
"Fundamental"
],
"source": "w"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Alternative spelling of la"
],
"id": "en-lah-en-noun-BiA459~P",
"links": [
[
"music",
"music"
],
[
"la",
"la#English"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(music) Alternative spelling of la"
],
"tags": [
"alt-of",
"alternative"
],
"topics": [
"entertainment",
"lifestyle",
"music"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/lɑ/"
},
{
"audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-lah.wav",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/0b/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-lah.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-lah.wav.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/0b/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-lah.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-lah.wav.ogg"
},
{
"rhymes": "-ɑ"
}
],
"word": "lah"
}
{
"etymology_number": 2,
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "Chinese"
},
"expansion": "",
"name": "etymid"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ms",
"3": "lah"
},
"expansion": "Malay lah",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "yue",
"3": "-"
},
"expansion": "Cantonese",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "啦",
"tr": "laa1"
},
"expansion": "啦 (laa1)",
"name": "zh-l"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "nan-hbl",
"3": "-"
},
"expansion": "Hokkien",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "啦",
"tr": "--la"
},
"expansion": "啦 (--la)",
"name": "zh-l"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "la"
},
"expansion": "Doublet of la",
"name": "doublet"
}
],
"etymology_text": "From Malay lah, Cantonese 啦 (laa1) and Hokkien 啦 (--la). Doublet of la.",
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "particle",
"head": "",
"sort": ""
},
"expansion": "lah",
"name": "head"
},
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "lah",
"name": "en-particle"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "particle",
"related": [
{
"_dis1": "20 17 15 8 4 2 8 11 10 1 4 0",
"sense": "Singlish particles",
"word": "ah"
},
{
"_dis1": "20 17 15 8 4 2 8 11 10 1 4 0",
"sense": "Singlish particles",
"word": "hor"
},
{
"_dis1": "20 17 15 8 4 2 8 11 10 1 4 0",
"sense": "Singlish particles",
"word": "know"
},
{
"_dis1": "20 17 15 8 4 2 8 11 10 1 4 0",
"sense": "Singlish particles",
"word": "leh"
},
{
"_dis1": "20 17 15 8 4 2 8 11 10 1 4 0",
"sense": "Singlish particles",
"word": "liao"
},
{
"_dis1": "20 17 15 8 4 2 8 11 10 1 4 0",
"sense": "Singlish particles",
"word": "lor"
},
{
"_dis1": "20 17 15 8 4 2 8 11 10 1 4 0",
"sense": "Singlish particles",
"word": "mah"
},
{
"_dis1": "20 17 15 8 4 2 8 11 10 1 4 0",
"sense": "Singlish particles",
"word": "meh"
},
{
"_dis1": "20 17 15 8 4 2 8 11 10 1 4 0",
"sense": "Singlish particles",
"word": "one"
},
{
"_dis1": "20 17 15 8 4 2 8 11 10 1 4 0",
"sense": "Singlish particles",
"word": "sia"
},
{
"_dis1": "20 17 15 8 4 2 8 11 10 1 4 0",
"sense": "Singlish particles",
"word": "what"
}
],
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "5 17 16 15 9 4 2 8 11 9 2 1 1",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
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"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
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{
"_dis": "7 15 13 16 8 6 5 7 12 7 2 2 1",
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{
"_dis": "4 15 14 17 8 4 3 8 13 8 3 2 1",
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{
"_dis": "19 23 9 7 4 9 1 4 5 5 3 12 0",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Manglish",
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},
{
"_dis": "3 15 15 18 9 3 2 9 14 9 3 1 1",
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},
{
"_dis": "2 17 17 18 9 2 1 9 13 10 2 1 1",
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{
"_dis": "18 24 7 5 5 9 3 4 5 5 4 11 0",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Singlish",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "Don’t do it lah, it’s not worth it. ― Disapproval",
"type": "example"
},
{
"text": "Hurry up, lah! ― Impatience",
"type": "example"
},
{
"ref": "1978, Leong Choon Cheong, Youth in the Army, Singapore: Federal Publications, →OCLC, page 75:",
"text": "Don’t know lah […] this is very hard to say.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2007, Elangovan, P, Singapore, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 47:",
"text": "Even if you don't know, just pretend as if you know-lah Mike. You are embarrassing me you know.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2020, Stephanie Street, Dragonflies, Epigram Books, →ISBN, Act 2, scene 2, page 110:",
"text": "Please lah, you want to save me, save me the headache.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Placed at the end of a sentence to accentuate the mood or attitude of the speaker."
],
"id": "en-lah-en-particle-en:attitude",
"links": [
[
"mood",
"mood#English"
],
[
"attitude",
"attitude#English"
]
],
"senseid": [
"en:attitude"
],
"tags": [
"Manglish",
"Singlish"
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "5 17 16 15 9 4 2 8 11 9 2 1 1",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
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"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
],
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},
{
"_dis": "7 15 13 16 8 6 5 7 12 7 2 2 1",
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{
"_dis": "4 15 14 17 8 4 3 8 13 8 3 2 1",
"kind": "other",
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{
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"source": "w+disamb"
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{
"_dis": "2 17 17 18 9 2 1 9 13 10 2 1 1",
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}
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "You won’t drown one lah. The water is very shallow.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"ref": "1999, Alfian Sa'at, Corridor, Singapore: SNP Editions, →OCLC, page 15:",
"text": "Don’t worry lah. We’ll meet the deadline.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Placed at the end of a sentence to convey reassurance or solidarity."
],
"id": "en-lah-en-particle-en:reassurance",
"links": [
[
"reassurance",
"reassurance#English"
],
[
"solidarity",
"solidarity#English"
]
],
"senseid": [
"en:reassurance"
],
"tags": [
"Manglish",
"Singlish"
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "5 17 16 15 9 4 2 8 11 9 2 1 1",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
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"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "7 15 13 16 8 6 5 7 12 7 2 2 1",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English links with redundant alt parameters",
"parents": [
"Links with redundant alt parameters",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "4 15 14 17 8 4 3 8 13 8 3 2 1",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English particles",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "3 15 15 18 9 3 2 9 14 9 3 1 1",
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"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "2 17 17 18 9 2 1 9 13 10 2 1 1",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with entries",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "Get a whiteboard marker and write over it lah.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"text": "They’re not wrong lah... But they’re only taking themselves into consideration.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"ref": "2009, Jean Tay, Boom, Epigram Books, →ISBN, Act I, scene v, page 30:",
"text": "Mud you can clean up. Cobwebs you can sweep away. Stains, use bleach lah!",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2009, Alfian Sa'at, “Nadirah”, in Collected Plays Three, Singapore, →ISBN, Scene ii, page 57:",
"text": "Nadirah: You never told me Sally was leaving. I didn't even have the chance to say goodbye.\nSahirah: You visit her lah when you go to KL.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Asserts that something is clear, obvious or straightforward."
],
"id": "en-lah-en-particle-en:clear",
"links": [
[
"straightforward",
"straightforward#English"
]
],
"senseid": [
"en:clear"
],
"tags": [
"Manglish",
"Singlish"
]
},
{
"categories": [],
"examples": [
{
"text": "So in the end it wasn’t my fault lah!",
"type": "example"
},
{
"text": "Do it yourself lah! Always need me to help is it?",
"type": "example"
},
{
"ref": "1983, Stella Kon, Emily of Emerald Hill, →ISBN, Act 1, page 14:",
"text": "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!'",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Used to express realisation, impatience or vexation."
],
"id": "en-lah-en-particle-en:realisation_vexation",
"links": [
[
"realisation",
"realisation#English"
],
[
"impatience",
"impatience#English"
],
[
"vexation",
"vexation#English"
]
],
"senseid": [
"en:realisation-vexation"
],
"tags": [
"Manglish",
"Singlish"
]
},
{
"categories": [],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "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:",
"text": "I remember my friends telling me, 'People already say you're an artist, then be one lah.'",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Used to tone down an imperative sentence, so that it sounds more like a request or suggestion."
],
"id": "en-lah-en-particle-en:tone_down",
"links": [
[
"tone down",
"tone down#English"
],
[
"request",
"request#English"
],
[
"suggestion",
"suggestion#English"
]
],
"senseid": [
"en:tone-down"
],
"tags": [
"Manglish",
"Singlish"
]
},
{
"categories": [],
"examples": [
{
"text": "These shoes are too small lah.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"text": "No need to count lah. I’m sure the number is right.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"ref": "2005, Kantian, soc.culture.singapore (Usenet):",
"text": "its an honest mistake lah.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2008, Preeta Samarasan, Evening Is the Whole Day, Fourth Estate, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 116:",
"text": "“Keretapi Tanah Melayu means railway lah thanggachi [younger sister; term of address for a younger woman],” the man went on. “Means Malay Land Railway. Malay Land that means Malaysia lah [Sense 3], thanggachi, that also you don’t know ah? […]",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Used after an assertive statement to reinforce its authoritativeness, or to show that the speaker is confident with what they are saying."
],
"id": "en-lah-en-particle-en:authoritativeness",
"links": [
[
"assertive",
"assertive#English"
],
[
"authoritativeness",
"authoritativeness#English"
],
[
"confident",
"confident#English"
]
],
"senseid": [
"en:authoritativeness"
],
"tags": [
"Manglish",
"Singlish"
]
},
{
"categories": [],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "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:",
"text": "No lah, they must look at it this way... even though the founder (Colonel Harland Sanders) of KFC has died, his recipe lives on.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2019 March 5, Ong Ye Kung, “Committee of Supply – Head K (Ministry of Education)”, in Parliamentary Debates: Official Report (Parliament of Singapore), volume 94:",
"text": "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.”",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Used to colloquialize certain short responses (e.g., no, ya, OK)."
],
"id": "en-lah-en-particle-en:colloquialize",
"links": [
[
"colloquialize",
"colloquialize#English"
],
[
"no",
"no#English"
],
[
"ya",
"ya#English"
],
[
"OK",
"OK#English"
]
],
"senseid": [
"en:colloquialize"
],
"tags": [
"Manglish",
"Singlish"
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "5 17 16 15 9 4 2 8 11 9 2 1 1",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
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"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "7 15 13 16 8 6 5 7 12 7 2 2 1",
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},
{
"_dis": "4 15 14 17 8 4 3 8 13 8 3 2 1",
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{
"_dis": "3 15 15 18 9 3 2 9 14 9 3 1 1",
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{
"_dis": "2 17 17 18 9 2 1 9 13 10 2 1 1",
"kind": "other",
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"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Used to express dismissiveness."
],
"id": "en-lah-en-particle-en:dismissiveness",
"links": [
[
"dismissiveness",
"dismissiveness#English"
]
],
"senseid": [
"en:dismissiveness"
],
"tags": [
"Manglish",
"Singlish"
]
},
{
"categories": [],
"examples": [
{
"text": "Oh wait it’s not today, lah. It’s on Sunday.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"ref": "2009, Jean Tay, Boom, Epigram Books, →ISBN, Act I, scene ii, page 21:",
"text": "boon: […] You want to go see snow or not, Ma?\nmother: See for what? I open freezer can see already what.\nboon: Not the same, lah… Imagine snowflakes drifting down, melting when they touch your skin. […]",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Used in assertions that correct previous underlying assumptions."
],
"id": "en-lah-en-particle-en:correcting",
"links": [
[
"assertion",
"assertion#English"
],
[
"correct",
"correct#English"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(less common) Used in assertions that correct previous underlying assumptions."
],
"senseid": [
"en:correcting"
],
"tags": [
"Manglish",
"Singlish",
"uncommon"
]
},
{
"categories": [],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "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:",
"text": "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”?",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Used to convey a slight sense of dissatisfaction or irritation."
],
"id": "en-lah-en-particle-en:dissatisfaction",
"links": [
[
"dissatisfaction",
"dissatisfaction#English"
],
[
"irritation",
"irritation#English"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(less common) Used to convey a slight sense of dissatisfaction or irritation."
],
"senseid": [
"en:dissatisfaction"
],
"tags": [
"Manglish",
"Singlish",
"uncommon"
]
},
{
"categories": [],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "2010, Haresh Sharma, Those Who Can't, Teach, Epigram Books, Act I, scene ii:",
"text": "He teach them how to cook lah, learn computer lah... […]",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A separator following each item in a list of examples."
],
"id": "en-lah-en-particle-en:list_separator",
"raw_glosses": [
"(less common) A separator following each item in a list of examples."
],
"senseid": [
"en:list-separator"
],
"tags": [
"Manglish",
"Singlish",
"uncommon"
]
},
{
"categories": [],
"examples": [
{
"text": "No lah, no lah. ― No, definitely not. (sarcastic reply)",
"type": "example"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Used sarcastically."
],
"id": "en-lah-en-particle-en:sarcastic",
"links": [
[
"sarcastically",
"sarcastically#English"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(less common) Used sarcastically."
],
"senseid": [
"en:sarcastic"
],
"tags": [
"Manglish",
"Singlish",
"uncommon"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/lɑː˨/"
},
{
"ipa": "/lɑː˧˨/"
},
{
"ipa": "/lah˨/"
},
{
"ipa": "[lä˨]"
},
{
"ipa": "/lɑː˦˨/"
},
{
"ipa": "/lɑː˧˦/"
},
{
"ipa": "/lɑː˧/"
},
{
"ipa": "/lɑː˦/",
"note": "in fixed expressions"
},
{
"ipa": "/lɑ/"
},
{
"audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-lah.wav",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/0b/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-lah.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-lah.wav.mp3",
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},
{
"rhymes": "-ɑ"
}
],
"wikipedia": [
"Manglish#Lah",
"Singlish#Lah"
],
"word": "lah"
}
{
"categories": [
"English countable nouns",
"English doublets",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English lemmas",
"English links with redundant alt parameters",
"English nouns",
"English particles",
"English terms derived from Cantonese",
"English terms derived from Hokkien",
"English terms derived from Malay",
"Manglish",
"Pages with 6 entries",
"Pages with entries",
"Rhymes:English/ɑ",
"Rhymes:English/ɑ/1 syllable",
"Singlish"
],
"etymology_number": 1,
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{
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"1": "en",
"2": "la"
},
"expansion": "",
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}
],
"etymology_text": "An anglicised spelling of la.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "lahs",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "lah (plural lahs)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"alt_of": [
{
"word": "la"
}
],
"categories": [
"en:Music"
],
"glosses": [
"Alternative spelling of la"
],
"links": [
[
"music",
"music"
],
[
"la",
"la#English"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(music) Alternative spelling of la"
],
"tags": [
"alt-of",
"alternative"
],
"topics": [
"entertainment",
"lifestyle",
"music"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/lɑ/"
},
{
"audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-lah.wav",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/0b/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-lah.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-lah.wav.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/0b/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-lah.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-lah.wav.ogg"
},
{
"rhymes": "-ɑ"
}
],
"word": "lah"
}
{
"categories": [
"English doublets",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English lemmas",
"English links with redundant alt parameters",
"English particles",
"English terms derived from Cantonese",
"English terms derived from Hokkien",
"English terms derived from Malay",
"Manglish",
"Pages with 6 entries",
"Pages with entries",
"Rhymes:English/ɑ",
"Rhymes:English/ɑ/1 syllable",
"Singlish"
],
"etymology_number": 2,
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "Chinese"
},
"expansion": "",
"name": "etymid"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ms",
"3": "lah"
},
"expansion": "Malay lah",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "yue",
"3": "-"
},
"expansion": "Cantonese",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "啦",
"tr": "laa1"
},
"expansion": "啦 (laa1)",
"name": "zh-l"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "nan-hbl",
"3": "-"
},
"expansion": "Hokkien",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "啦",
"tr": "--la"
},
"expansion": "啦 (--la)",
"name": "zh-l"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "la"
},
"expansion": "Doublet of la",
"name": "doublet"
}
],
"etymology_text": "From Malay lah, Cantonese 啦 (laa1) and Hokkien 啦 (--la). Doublet of la.",
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "particle",
"head": "",
"sort": ""
},
"expansion": "lah",
"name": "head"
},
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "lah",
"name": "en-particle"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "particle",
"related": [
{
"sense": "Singlish particles",
"word": "ah"
},
{
"sense": "Singlish particles",
"word": "hor"
},
{
"sense": "Singlish particles",
"word": "know"
},
{
"sense": "Singlish particles",
"word": "leh"
},
{
"sense": "Singlish particles",
"word": "liao"
},
{
"sense": "Singlish particles",
"word": "lor"
},
{
"sense": "Singlish particles",
"word": "mah"
},
{
"sense": "Singlish particles",
"word": "meh"
},
{
"sense": "Singlish particles",
"word": "one"
},
{
"sense": "Singlish particles",
"word": "sia"
},
{
"sense": "Singlish particles",
"word": "what"
}
],
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"English terms with quotations",
"English terms with usage examples"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "Don’t do it lah, it’s not worth it. ― Disapproval",
"type": "example"
},
{
"text": "Hurry up, lah! ― Impatience",
"type": "example"
},
{
"ref": "1978, Leong Choon Cheong, Youth in the Army, Singapore: Federal Publications, →OCLC, page 75:",
"text": "Don’t know lah […] this is very hard to say.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2007, Elangovan, P, Singapore, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 47:",
"text": "Even if you don't know, just pretend as if you know-lah Mike. You are embarrassing me you know.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2020, Stephanie Street, Dragonflies, Epigram Books, →ISBN, Act 2, scene 2, page 110:",
"text": "Please lah, you want to save me, save me the headache.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Placed at the end of a sentence to accentuate the mood or attitude of the speaker."
],
"links": [
[
"mood",
"mood#English"
],
[
"attitude",
"attitude#English"
]
],
"senseid": [
"en:attitude"
],
"tags": [
"Manglish",
"Singlish"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English terms with quotations",
"English terms with usage examples"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "You won’t drown one lah. The water is very shallow.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"ref": "1999, Alfian Sa'at, Corridor, Singapore: SNP Editions, →OCLC, page 15:",
"text": "Don’t worry lah. We’ll meet the deadline.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Placed at the end of a sentence to convey reassurance or solidarity."
],
"links": [
[
"reassurance",
"reassurance#English"
],
[
"solidarity",
"solidarity#English"
]
],
"senseid": [
"en:reassurance"
],
"tags": [
"Manglish",
"Singlish"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English terms with quotations",
"English terms with usage examples"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "Get a whiteboard marker and write over it lah.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"text": "They’re not wrong lah... But they’re only taking themselves into consideration.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"ref": "2009, Jean Tay, Boom, Epigram Books, →ISBN, Act I, scene v, page 30:",
"text": "Mud you can clean up. Cobwebs you can sweep away. Stains, use bleach lah!",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2009, Alfian Sa'at, “Nadirah”, in Collected Plays Three, Singapore, →ISBN, Scene ii, page 57:",
"text": "Nadirah: You never told me Sally was leaving. I didn't even have the chance to say goodbye.\nSahirah: You visit her lah when you go to KL.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Asserts that something is clear, obvious or straightforward."
],
"links": [
[
"straightforward",
"straightforward#English"
]
],
"senseid": [
"en:clear"
],
"tags": [
"Manglish",
"Singlish"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English terms with quotations",
"English terms with usage examples"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "So in the end it wasn’t my fault lah!",
"type": "example"
},
{
"text": "Do it yourself lah! Always need me to help is it?",
"type": "example"
},
{
"ref": "1983, Stella Kon, Emily of Emerald Hill, →ISBN, Act 1, page 14:",
"text": "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!'",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Used to express realisation, impatience or vexation."
],
"links": [
[
"realisation",
"realisation#English"
],
[
"impatience",
"impatience#English"
],
[
"vexation",
"vexation#English"
]
],
"senseid": [
"en:realisation-vexation"
],
"tags": [
"Manglish",
"Singlish"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English terms with quotations"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "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:",
"text": "I remember my friends telling me, 'People already say you're an artist, then be one lah.'",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Used to tone down an imperative sentence, so that it sounds more like a request or suggestion."
],
"links": [
[
"tone down",
"tone down#English"
],
[
"request",
"request#English"
],
[
"suggestion",
"suggestion#English"
]
],
"senseid": [
"en:tone-down"
],
"tags": [
"Manglish",
"Singlish"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English terms with quotations",
"English terms with usage examples"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "These shoes are too small lah.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"text": "No need to count lah. I’m sure the number is right.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"ref": "2005, Kantian, soc.culture.singapore (Usenet):",
"text": "its an honest mistake lah.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2008, Preeta Samarasan, Evening Is the Whole Day, Fourth Estate, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 116:",
"text": "“Keretapi Tanah Melayu means railway lah thanggachi [younger sister; term of address for a younger woman],” the man went on. “Means Malay Land Railway. Malay Land that means Malaysia lah [Sense 3], thanggachi, that also you don’t know ah? […]",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Used after an assertive statement to reinforce its authoritativeness, or to show that the speaker is confident with what they are saying."
],
"links": [
[
"assertive",
"assertive#English"
],
[
"authoritativeness",
"authoritativeness#English"
],
[
"confident",
"confident#English"
]
],
"senseid": [
"en:authoritativeness"
],
"tags": [
"Manglish",
"Singlish"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English terms with quotations"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "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:",
"text": "No lah, they must look at it this way... even though the founder (Colonel Harland Sanders) of KFC has died, his recipe lives on.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2019 March 5, Ong Ye Kung, “Committee of Supply – Head K (Ministry of Education)”, in Parliamentary Debates: Official Report (Parliament of Singapore), volume 94:",
"text": "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.”",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Used to colloquialize certain short responses (e.g., no, ya, OK)."
],
"links": [
[
"colloquialize",
"colloquialize#English"
],
[
"no",
"no#English"
],
[
"ya",
"ya#English"
],
[
"OK",
"OK#English"
]
],
"senseid": [
"en:colloquialize"
],
"tags": [
"Manglish",
"Singlish"
]
},
{
"glosses": [
"Used to express dismissiveness."
],
"links": [
[
"dismissiveness",
"dismissiveness#English"
]
],
"senseid": [
"en:dismissiveness"
],
"tags": [
"Manglish",
"Singlish"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English terms with quotations",
"English terms with usage examples"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "Oh wait it’s not today, lah. It’s on Sunday.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"ref": "2009, Jean Tay, Boom, Epigram Books, →ISBN, Act I, scene ii, page 21:",
"text": "boon: […] You want to go see snow or not, Ma?\nmother: See for what? I open freezer can see already what.\nboon: Not the same, lah… Imagine snowflakes drifting down, melting when they touch your skin. […]",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Used in assertions that correct previous underlying assumptions."
],
"links": [
[
"assertion",
"assertion#English"
],
[
"correct",
"correct#English"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(less common) Used in assertions that correct previous underlying assumptions."
],
"senseid": [
"en:correcting"
],
"tags": [
"Manglish",
"Singlish",
"uncommon"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English terms with quotations"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "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:",
"text": "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”?",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Used to convey a slight sense of dissatisfaction or irritation."
],
"links": [
[
"dissatisfaction",
"dissatisfaction#English"
],
[
"irritation",
"irritation#English"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(less common) Used to convey a slight sense of dissatisfaction or irritation."
],
"senseid": [
"en:dissatisfaction"
],
"tags": [
"Manglish",
"Singlish",
"uncommon"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English terms with quotations"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "2010, Haresh Sharma, Those Who Can't, Teach, Epigram Books, Act I, scene ii:",
"text": "He teach them how to cook lah, learn computer lah... […]",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A separator following each item in a list of examples."
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(less common) A separator following each item in a list of examples."
],
"senseid": [
"en:list-separator"
],
"tags": [
"Manglish",
"Singlish",
"uncommon"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English terms with usage examples"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "No lah, no lah. ― No, definitely not. (sarcastic reply)",
"type": "example"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Used sarcastically."
],
"links": [
[
"sarcastically",
"sarcastically#English"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(less common) Used sarcastically."
],
"senseid": [
"en:sarcastic"
],
"tags": [
"Manglish",
"Singlish",
"uncommon"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/lɑː˨/"
},
{
"ipa": "/lɑː˧˨/"
},
{
"ipa": "/lah˨/"
},
{
"ipa": "[lä˨]"
},
{
"ipa": "/lɑː˦˨/"
},
{
"ipa": "/lɑː˧˦/"
},
{
"ipa": "/lɑː˧/"
},
{
"ipa": "/lɑː˦/",
"note": "in fixed expressions"
},
{
"ipa": "/lɑ/"
},
{
"audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-lah.wav",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/0b/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-lah.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-lah.wav.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/0b/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-lah.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-lah.wav.ogg"
},
{
"rhymes": "-ɑ"
}
],
"wikipedia": [
"Manglish#Lah",
"Singlish#Lah"
],
"word": "lah"
}
Download raw JSONL data for lah meaning in English (13.0kB)
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-01-18 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-01-01 using wiktextract (e4a2c88 and 4230888). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.