Etymology Borrowed from Hokkien 了 (liáu) and Teochew 了 (liao²), with tone and spelling influenced by Mandarin 了 (liǎo) and its romanization in Hanyu Pinyin.
1
Manglish, Singlish Indicates action completion, or more generally, perfective aspect.
I run 4 laps liao.
You decorate the cake liao?
1 more example
I’ve been working for six months liao.
2
Manglish, Singlish Marks a change in state, more or less in the same manner as the inchoative aspect (see usage notes).
It’s going to rain liao.
Reach liao, give me a call.
4 more examples
Damn shag liao, need to go back and sleep.
It was a weekday and I asked for a bowl of hokkien mee. The old lady told me “No more liao, you came too late”. Ok fine, it was my fault on getting here too late.2007 November 27, stevengoh, “No More 2nd Time – Super Hokkien Mee, One Corner Cafe”, in stevengoh.com:
“Of course I’m sympathetic […] But you’re dead liao mah. Your parents also were suffering. Angry for what now?”2013, Zen Cho, “Balik Kampung (Going Back)”, in Jonathan Oliver, editor, End of the Road, Solaris, →ISBN:
McKing then asks, “Will there be a tree of sadness?” “No?” I utter, begrudgingly and slightly confused. “Cured liao lor,” he says.2019 February 25, Shaun Tan, “This Singaporean Dude Invited Us to Be Hypnotised, Then It Got Weird”, in ricemedia.co, archived from the original on 07 Sep 2025:
3
Manglish, Singlish, With imperatives Used to emphasize that something has to be done now.
Singapore, Colloquial Meats, vegetables, and other ingredients added to an otherwise plain dish.
Bak Chor Mee, less mee, Auntie. No extra liao today.2012, Tan Tarn How, Fear of Writing, Epigram Books, →ISBN, scene: 35, page 72:
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 June 18, ieatishootipost, Instagram:
1 more example
But for all the eggs and liao (ingredients) you have, it isn’t gao (strong).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, archived from the original on 12 Jul 2024: