lah
Part of speech: particle
Morphological type: simple
Etymology: From Malay lah, Hokkien 啦 (--la) and Cantonese 啦 (laa¹). Doublet of la in colloquial Hong Kong English.
Lim (2007) lists multiple sources:
* Bazaar Malay, for its use as a particle of emphasis (akin to Malay lah), and the senses expressing commands, invitations and "solidarity, familiarity [and] informality".
* Hokkien 啦 (--la), which indicates finality, completion and confirmation-seeking, as well as "emphasis, persuasiveness, dismissiveness [and] listing".
* Cantonese 啦 (laa¹), expressing a "general lack of definiteness or forcefulness", and for its role in softening commands.
Inflected forms:
form: la
pos: particle
tags: alternative
form: lar
pos: particle
tags: alternative
Senses:
gloss: Placed at the end of a sentence to accentuate the mood or attitude of the speaker.
pos: particle
examples: Pitch contour: low-mid [lɑ(ː)˨], mid-falling [lɑː˧˨]
Don’t do it lah, it’s not worth it.
Hurry up, lah!
Don’t know lah […] this is very hard to say.
Even if you don't know, just pretend as if you know-lah Mike. You are embarrassing me you know.
Please lah, you want to save me, save me the headache.
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”?
gloss: Placed at the end of a sentence to convey reassurance or express solidarity.
pos: particle
examples: Pitch contour: low-mid [lɑ(ː)˨], mid-falling [lɑː˧˨]
You won’t drown one lah. The water is very shallow.
Don’t worry lah. We’ll meet the deadline.
gloss: Indicates an attempt at expressing sympathy, conveying informality or sincerity, or establishing a rapport with the listener.
pos: particle
examples: Pitch contour: low-mid [lɑ(ː)˨]
Just try your best lah, and don’t think too much about it.
I mean, I didn’t want to break the law, and I honestly went down to find out whether that place was OK to park or not. Let’s be fair lah, you can’t expect me to see one sign saying something and still go a long way to see if there is another one saying something else.
I had Malay friends who were just turned away like that. It’s quite bad lah.
You know that for tattooing, we are supposed to use disposable needles, right? Well, Joseph (Rough Face) will tell us not to throw them away after use. The next morning when I come into the studio, the needle box is always full again but the needles are without their original seal. You know why lah.
Aiyah, we will always chat or message what... We’ll keep in touch lah, hor?
gloss: Placed at the end of an assertive statement to express denial or dismissiveness.
pos: particle
examples: Pitch contour: low-mid [lɑ(ː)˨], mid-falling [lɑː˧˨]
— I don’t think you should be cutting corners, at least put in some effort and make it look legit.
— They won’t care one lah... I don’t have all day...
“No lah,” she had said, almost casually to his proposal. He was flabbergasted.
Don’t bother about him lah. Let’s pack up and get some sleep as we have a long day ahead.
No lah, they must look at it this way... even though the founder (Colonel Harland Sanders) of KFC has died, his recipe lives on.
“Papa, I’m telling you—the property was immense. It was like the Istana. The driveway itself went on for miles.”
“Cannot be! Two or three acres I might believe, but fifty? No such thing, lah.”
gloss: Used after an assertive statement to reinforce its authoritativeness, or to show that the speaker is confident with what they are saying.
pos: particle
examples: Pitch contour: low-mid [lɑ(ː)˨], mid-falling [lɑː˧˨]
These shoes are too small lah.
No need to count lah. I’m sure the number is right.
Eleven, eleven thirty, same same lah.
Every once in a long while when someone asked why, he said: “No time-lah. So busy-leh.”
“Keretapi Tanah Melayu means railway lah thanggachi [தங்கச்சி (taṅkacci), term of address for a younger woman],” the man went on. “Means Malay Land Railway. Malay Land that means Malaysia lah [Sense 6], thanggachi, that also you don’t know ah? […]
gloss: Asserts that something is clear, obvious or straightforward.
pos: particle
examples: Pitch contour: falling [lɑ(ː)˦˨]
Near-synonym: lor (sense 2)
Get a whiteboard marker and write over it lah.
They’re not wrong lah... But they’re only taking themselves into consideration.
Mud you can clean up. Cobwebs you can sweep away. Stains, use bleach lah!
Nadirah: You never told me Sally was leaving. I didn't even have the chance to say goodbye.
Sahirah: You visit her lah when you go to KL.
gloss: Used to tone down an imperative sentence, so it sounds more like a request or suggestion.
pos: particle
examples: Pitch contour: falling [lɑ(ː)˦˨]
I remember my friends telling me, 'People already say you're an artist, then be one lah.'
gloss: Indicates strong persuasion at the end of an imperative sentence.
pos: particle
examples: Pitch contour: mid-falling [lɑː˧˨]
Don’t waste your time there lah.
[…] I say politely, No thank you, it’s okay. But he insists, Take lah, never mind, no need to pai-seh!
gloss: Indicates a retrospective remark or a reassessment of one’s opinion.
pos: particle
examples: Pitch contour: low-mid [lɑ(ː)˨], mid-falling [lɑː˧˨]
— Not many people would think of using a pressure cooker.
— I mean, it’s pretty unconventional lah, I have to admit.
Oh well, it was xiong, but overall OK, lah.
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.”
Different priorities lah these days.
Interviewer: But what is expensive to your parents? Like $50 for a dress?
Lola: Er ... it’s not that bad lah.
gloss: Reinforces a suggestion with the implication that it is the more practical option.
pos: particle
examples: Pitch contour: low-mid [lɑ(ː)˨], mid-falling [lɑː˧˨]
The nearest train station is 15 minutes away. I think we take the bus lah, hor?
Use the mittens lah.
gloss: Indicates confirmation-seeking at the end of an inferential statement.
pos: particle
examples: Pitch contour: falling [lɑː˦˨]
In other words, you’re the one who started it lah!
“Huh? SAP school? Oh, you mean Chinese schools lah.”
gloss: Used to express realisation, or vexation when something is already obvious.
pos: particle
examples: Pitch contour: falling [lɑː˦˨]
So in the end it wasn’t my fault lah!
Do it yourself lah! Always need me to help is it?
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!'
gloss: Reinforces the factuality of an assertive statement made to correct an inaccurate, underlying assumption.
pos: particle
tags: uncommon
examples: Pitch contour: mid-rising [lɑ(ː)˧˦]
Oh wait it’s not today, lah. It’s on Sunday.
gloss: Used to convey a slight sense of dissatisfaction or irritation.
pos: particle
tags: uncommon
examples: Pitch contour: mid-rising [lɑ(ː)˧˦]
gloss: Used for enumeration (when listing examples).
pos: particle
tags: uncommon
examples: Pitch contour: mid [lɑː˧]
He teach them how to cook lah, learn computer lah... […]
gloss: An assertive separator, used to reverse the order of the usual topic–comment structure of a sentence.
pos: particle
tags: Malaysia
uncommon
examples: Pitch contour: low-mid [lɑ(ː)˨]
No fun lah, you.
“Who lah that Panjali? A real ‘number nine’ [From Tamil ஒன்பது (oṉpatu), a derogatory term for a transgender person].”
“You don’t play a fool you know. He is not a ‘number nine’, not a hermaphrodite, but a man. He is the one who has been cross-dressing and performing the role of Panjali for many years.”
gloss: Used sarcastically.
pos: particle
tags: uncommon
examples: Pitch contour: low-mid [lɑː˨], (in the example below) high-mid [lɑ(ː)˦]
No lah, no lah.
Related words: what
lah1–14
lor2–3
lor1
ah6
leh1–2
mah
leh3–6
one1–3
hor1
know
nia
only
sia
hor2
ah1–3
hah1–3
meh
ba2
leh7–11
ba1
liao
already
Gupta
A. F. (1992)
in
volume 18
number 1
→DOI
Translations: