By The Table desk · Last verified 27 September 2026
Say the drink, then the milk, then the sugar, then hot or iced. “Kopi” on its own gets you coffee with condensed milk, already sweet. “Kopi O” is black with sugar, and “kopi C” is coffee with evaporated milk and sugar. Add “kosong” for no sugar, “siew dai” for less, “ga dai” for more, and “peng” for ice. So a kopi O kosong peng is iced black coffee with no sugar.
The code
| Say | You get |
|---|---|
| Kopi | Coffee with condensed milk; sweet |
| Kopi O | Black coffee with sugar |
| Kopi C | Coffee with evaporated milk and sugar |
| Kosong | No sugar |
| Siew dai | Less sugar |
| Ga dai | More sugar |
| Peng | Iced |
| Gao | Stronger |
| Po | Weaker |
| Di lo | Undiluted, straight from the pot |
| Teh | Tea, with all the same rules |
| Teh tarik | Tea with condensed milk, pulled between two jugs for froth |
| Teh halia | Ginger tea |
| Tak kiu | Milo |
| Yuan yang | Coffee and tea mixed |
| Ta pao / bungkus | Takeaway |
In what order do I say it?
Drink, milk, sugar, strength, temperature. Kopi C siew dai peng is iced coffee with evaporated milk and less sugar. Teh O kosong is plain black tea. The drinks uncle will usually repeat it back to you. If he doesn’t, he heard you.
Why does kopi taste like that?
Traditional kopi uses robusta beans, which are more bitter and carry more caffeine than arabica. The beans are roasted with sugar and butter for a caramelised, chocolatey taste. The grounds are brewed in tall pots lined with a cloth sock, and the coffee is poured from a height for froth. That roast is why even kopi O tastes rounder than filter coffee.
What does it cost?
In the IPS survey of late 2022 and early 2023, kopi O was the cheapest drink, at an average of S$1.09. It averaged about S$0.99 at hawker centres and S$1.26 at food courts. The dearest drink was iced Milo, at S$1.81. Coffee shops in HDB’s budget scheme sell budget drinks at S$1.20 or less.
Prices have moved since. One local roaster reported that dozens of neighbourhood coffee shops added 10 to 30 cents a cup in the first months of 2026. Iced versions usually cost a little more than hot.
Where do I order?
At the drinks stall. In a coffee shop the operator usually runs it, and at many coffee shops the drinks auntie or uncle comes to your table, takes the order, and collects the money when the cup lands. At hawker centres you order and pay at the stall.
The WahLiao Verdict
Learn four words: O, C, kosong and peng. With those you can order anything on the board. Start with kopi O siew dai, which lets you taste the roast rather than the tin.
Questions people ask
What’s the difference between kopi and kopi C?
Kopi uses sweetened condensed milk. Kopi C uses evaporated milk plus sugar, so it’s lighter and the sweetness can be adjusted.
How do I get black coffee with no sugar?
Say “kopi O kosong”. Plain “kosong” on its own can come back with milk.
Is kopi strong?
Yes. Robusta carries more caffeine than arabica, and “gao” makes it stronger still.
What’s teh tarik?
Tea with condensed milk, poured back and forth between two jugs to cool it and froth it. It’s the speciality of Indian-Muslim stalls.
Sources: IPS, Makan Index 2.0 (2023); CNA via Malay Mail on HDB’s budget meal scheme (January 2026); SBS Food, How to order kopi like a Singaporean local; a local roaster’s 2026 note on coffee prices.
Read next: Hawker Centre, Coffee Shop or Food Court · The Singapore Hawker Food Glossary · How a Hawker Centre Works · Back to The Table
For what’s worth it this week, with the bill shown, read The WahLiao Week.
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