For subscribers

Viewpoint

Huat ah! - the Swiss army knife of cheers

Given that many Singaporeans feel that money is never enough, the catchphrase 'huat ah' has gained wide currency here

Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox

Google Preferred Source badge
When it's Chinese New Year, you will see "huat" here, "huat" there, "huat" everywhere - from a lucky-draw poster in a Bishan coffee shop to the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC) in Shenton Way.
"Huat" is how the Chinese word, "fa" (meaning prosper), is pronounced in the Hokkien dialect. Going by its popularity, it is living in prosperous times.
See more on