Foreign woman living in Singapore mishears MRT safety announcement in Malay as ‘happy, happy’
A foreign woman living in Singapore has gone viral after admitting she thought the MRT’s safety announcements were telling passengers to be “happy happy”.
Ms Audrey Thiloy, who shared the hilarious misunderstanding on TikTok last Thursday (7 Aug), said the phrase had been stuck in her head for days.
She pleaded with locals to explain what it actually meant.
“Every time I’m on the Blue Line, the MRT lady keeps saying ‘happy happy’,” she said in her video, “Please people from Singapore, tell me what ‘happy, happy’ means.”
@audreythiloy HAPPY HAPPY ✨ in sg MRT #tiktoksg🇸🇬 #tiktoksg #sgtiktok #mrt #metro
Locals rush to decode mystery phrase
Singaporeans quickly chimed in, explaining that the “MRT lady” wasn’t dispensing good vibes, but giving a safety warning in Malay.
The actual phrase, berhati-hati, means “be careful” — part of the familiar four-language announcement reminding commuters to “mind the gap” between the platform and train.
Source: TikTok
Netizens share laughs over mix-up
While many clarified the meaning, others couldn’t resist poking fun at the innocent mistake.
Some joked that perhaps the announcement should encourage stressed-out Singaporeans to “be happy happy” during rush hour.
Source: TikTok
One cheeky commenter also pointed out that the mix-up had “started a brawl” online, with Malaysians and Indonesians chiming in since berhati-hati is used in both languages.
Source: TikTok
Also read: Redditor ‘shocked’ to find out foreigners dislike S’porean accent, some call it ‘low-class’
Redditor ‘shocked’ to find out foreigners dislike S’porean accent, some call it ‘low-class’
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Featured image adapted from Audrey Thiloy on TikTok.
