Singapore glossary
CPF, BTO, ABSD, ++ and a little Singlish, explained in plain words for locals and newcomers alike.
Everyday & Singlish
- Kiasu
- Hokkien for “afraid to lose”. The national habit of not wanting to miss out.
- Chope
- To reserve a seat, usually with a packet of tissue at a hawker centre.
- ++ (plus plus)
- A menu price plus 10% service charge and 9% GST: $100++ is $119.90.
- Ang bao
- A red packet of money given at Chinese New Year and weddings.
- BCRSBeverage Container Return Scheme
- The 10-cent deposit on bottled and canned drinks since 1 April 2026. You get it back when you return the empty container to a Return Right machine.
CPF & retirement
- CPFCentral Provident Fund
- Singapore's compulsory savings scheme for citizens and PRs. Under 55, you put in 20% of your pay and your employer adds 17%.
- MediSave
- The CPF account for medical bills and health insurance premiums.
- SRSSupplementary Retirement Scheme
- A voluntary retirement account. Every dollar you put in by 31 Dec cuts your taxable income, up to $15,300 a year for citizens and PRs.
Housing
- HDBHousing & Development Board
- The government housing board, and the public flats it builds. Most Singaporeans live in an HDB flat.
- BTOBuild-To-Order
- A new HDB flat sold by ballot before it is built. You usually wait a few years for the keys.
- MOPMinimum Occupation Period
- How long you must live in your HDB flat before you can sell it. Five years for most flats, ten for Plus and Prime flats.
- ECExecutive Condominium
- A condo built by a private developer but sold under HDB-style rules. It becomes fully private after 10 years.
- ABSDAdditional Buyer’s Stamp Duty
- An extra stamp duty on top of BSD, set by who you are and how many homes you already own. Foreigners pay 60%.
- BSDBuyer’s Stamp Duty
- The stamp duty every home buyer pays, from 1% to 6% in bands of the price.
Tax
Work
- AWSAnnual Wage Supplement
- The “13th-month” bonus, usually paid in December. It is not required by law unless your contract says so.