‘Money’, ‘busy’, ‘grateful’: Singaporeans describe life in one word

SINGAPORE: If you had to describe life in Singapore using just one word, what would it be?

That was the question a Reddit user recently posed online. Their own answer was “likedatlor.”

“Yes, I know — that’s not technically one word. But if you grew up here, you already understand,” the user wrote.

To them, “likedatlor” captures those very Singaporean moments when things somehow happen without much planning. They pointed to situations such as queuing 45 minutes for waffles they did not even intend to buy, showing up late but still hoping to get a seat, or saying they would be home by 10 p.m. and somehow ending up out until midnight.

“That’s my Singapore life so far. I didn’t really plan it. It just likedatlors to me,” the user added.

The question quickly drew responses from other Singaporeans, many of whom came up with very different answers.

Some described life here as “predictable”, “exhausting” or simply “busy”.

One commenter said people have become so used to making every minute count that they sometimes forget how to properly rest.

“We’ve been so accustomed to using all our time wisely that we forget to tune out and have a complete rest,” the commenter wrote.

Others boiled Singapore life down to a single word: “money”.

One Redditor argued that money influences how people judge almost everything, from careers and hobbies to how they spend their time.

“Your job is judged based on how much you are compensated. Your hobby is judged based on how much money is wasted or lack of capability to make money,” the commenter wrote.

Not everyone viewed things negatively, however.

Some chose the word “mundane”, saying life in Singapore may not always be exciting, but it comes with a sense of safety and stability that many people elsewhere may not have.

Others picked “grateful”.

“Cause my life would be so different if I’m in a worse-off country. I might not have access to clean drinking water, much less food, education, internet access, etc.,” one commenter wrote.

While the answers varied, the discussion offered a glimpse into how different people experience life in Singapore — whether they see it as busy, predictable, money-driven, mundane, grateful, or simply… likedatlor.