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siew dai

(Singapore, colloquial, informal) Less sweet (as a preference when ordering coffee or tea).

ˈsjuː˨˦ ˌt˭aɪ˨162 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
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#1·Apr 27, 2026

(Singapore, colloquial, informal) Less sweet (as a preference when ordering coffee or tea).

Ordering a cup of Kopi C Siew Dai (Coffee with evaporated milk and less sugar) makes you feel very Singaporean.
Origin: From , though ultimate source language unascertained. Apparently , literally "less base", from + in Cantonese pronunciation, referring to the condensed milk, used for sweetening, that sits at the bottom of the cup. In this would be pronounced siu2 dai2, but the compound has not been traced in Cantonese. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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