What does “kiam siap” mean?

Kiam siap in the Singlish dictionary: what it means, where it comes from and how it’s said.

kiam siap

adjectiveHokkien

Stingy, tight with money.

“So kiam siap, one cent also want to count.”

jiak liao bee Someone who eats but does no work: a freeloader, a slacker.
jialat Terrible, in a bad state, troublesome (Hokkien).
kaypoh Busybody, nosy (Hokkien).
keng Pretend to be sick or busy to skive.
kiasi Afraid of dying; overly cautious.
kiasu Afraid of losing out, so always grabbing first and queueing early.
kpkb To complain loudly and on and on; whining.
kueh Bite-sized cakes, often colourful and made with rice flour, coconut or pandan.

What does “kiam siap” mean in Singlish?

Stingy, tight with money. It’s an adjective.

Where does “kiam siap” come from?

From Hokkien. Other Singlish words from Hokkien include jiak liao bee, jialat, kaypoh and keng.

How do you use “kiam siap” in a sentence?

“So kiam siap, one cent also want to count.”

Liddat’s own words, from the Singlish dictionary: 312 words and phrases, A to Z.