What does “kosong” mean?

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

kosong

Zero, empty, nothing (Malay); “teh kosong” has no sugar.

“Teh-O kosong, no sugar please.”

kilat Excellent, shiny, spotless (Malay for “lightning”); army slang.
kopi Coffee, the kopitiam way, strong with condensed milk.
kopi kaki A friend you regularly meet for coffee and chats.
kopitiam A traditional coffee shop with drinks and food stalls (kopi, Malay for coffee, and tiam…
koyak Torn, broken, spoilt (Malay).
lagi More, even more; still.
lah The best-known particle: at the end of a sentence it softens a request, makes a statement…
laksa Noodles in spicy coconut-curry soup.

What does “kosong” mean in Singlish?

Zero, empty, nothing (Malay); “teh kosong” has no sugar. It’s an adjective.

Where does “kosong” come from?

From Malay. Other Singlish words from Malay include kilat, kopi, kopi kaki and kopitiam.

How do you use “kosong” in a sentence?

“Teh-O kosong, no sugar please.” It turns up in other words’ examples too: see auntie and prata.

Is “kosong” in the Singlish Wordle?

Yes: it’s one of the answers in the Singlish Wordle, one word a day, the same for everyone.

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