Meanings
- SingaporecolloquialimperativeDo not hesitate; take action immediately.
2017, 31 January, Celine Tan, Local Enough For You? What To Buy At New Designer Pop-Up, 庄Zhuang, 8 Days The pop-up will be there till April. Mai tu liao!
3 more examples
So "mai tu liao"! Come and write news stories about Singapore once more, we promise not to gazette your publication and limit your circulation too often!
2002, 6 January, Dionne, Google Groups: soc.culture.singapore [internet]What’s amazing right from the start of this mail is that, we don’t have to provide any account no, or mailing address and the money or cheque will reach you eventually. Quick before I take all the money. So send to as many as you can! Mai tu liao!
2006, 25 September, Huu Vinh Nyugen, Google Groups: Dien - Dien Tu K96 [internet]2016, 1 August, , Jetstar Asia takes Singlish to the skies - not a joke this time, AsiaOne The airline is telling passengers on flights to Singapore on National Day to let them know if they want Singlish on their flights. So if you happen to be on a flight to Singapore that day, mai tu liao!
Origin
- Hokkien莫躇了“don't hesitate”
- Englishmai tu liao
From Hokkien 莫躇了 (mài thû liáu, “don't hesitate”).
More words from Hokkien
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
mai tu liao. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mai%20tu%20liao
“mai tu liao.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mai%20tu%20liao. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “mai tu liao,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mai%20tu%20liao.
Source: mai tu liao on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.