bo1 zi2坡紙坡纸
Jyutpingbo1 zi2
Yalebō jí
Definition
Singapore dollar; the currency of Singapore.
colloquialmoney
How it's used
This term is a common piece of financial slang used by locals to refer specifically to the Singapore dollar. It follows a pattern of using the first character of a country name followed by 紙 to denote its currency, similar to how 美紙 is used for the US dollar. It is almost exclusively used in spoken contexts when discussing travel money or exchange rates.
Measure word
zoeng1張jēungExamples
I only have a few Singapore dollar notes left on me.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the general term for paper money or banknotes, which is 紙幣 or simply 紙. Using 坡紙 in a formal banking or business setting may sound unprofessional, so stick to 新加坡元 in those contexts.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
