English Explanatory Dictionary

siew dai

English dictionary entry

Meanings

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

Pronunciation

[ˈsjuː˨˦ ˌt˭aɪ˨]

Word forms

siew dai siu dai

Etymology

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.

Related words

C di lo gah dai gau kosong O peng po
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