siew dai

Singapore[ˈsjuː˨˦ ˌt˭aɪ˨]

adjective

Less sweet (as a preference when ordering coffee or tea).

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Meanings

adjectivesiew dai (not comparable)

alternative siu dai

  1. Singaporecolloquialinformalnot comparableLess sweet (as a preference when ordering coffee or tea).

    “I like coffee better.” He smiled. “Kopi-O siew dai.

    2012, Low Kay Hwa, I Believe You
    3 more examples

    Ordering a cup of Kopi C Siew Dai (Coffee with evaporated milk and less sugar) makes you feel very Singaporean.

    2007, iwatch_ueat, “Tong Ya coffee: super crispy kaya toast!”, in ishootieatipost, retrieved 01 Apr 2016

    But nothing beats that cup of kopi-o siu dai from the nearby kopitiam uncle who knows you best.

    2009, Dominic, “Hello, Google!”, in blog.gothere.sg, retrieved 01 Apr 2016

    Before he opens it, he asks what I would like to drink, then shouts out to a woman stirring a cup of Milo vigorously: “One kopi peng siew dai, and one teh si for me.”

    2015, Wong Kim Hoh, “Former kopi boy's still full of beans”, in The Straits Times (Singapore), retrieved 01 Apr 2016

Origin

From Chinese, though ultimate source language unascertained. Apparently 少底, literally "less base", from 少 (“less”) + 底 (“base; bottom”) in Cantonese pronunciation, referring to the condensed milk, used for sweetening, that sits at the bottom of the cup. In Cantonese this would be pronounced siu² dai², but the compound has not been traced in Cantonese.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

siew dai. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/siew%20dai

MLA

“siew dai.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/siew%20dai. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “siew dai,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/siew%20dai.

Source: siew dai on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.