What is Singlish?


Some Singaporeans speak a unique brand of English called "Singlish". This local concoction mixes English with common phrases in the Chinese dialects and some Malay. The use of Singlish continues to be a topic of public debate. Some Singaporeans purport that Singlish reflects badly on the country and hurts Singaporeans in international business. Proponents of local culture say Singlish is one of the elements that gives Singaporeans their distinctive identity. They add that most Singaporeans can switch seamlessly between "regular" English when neccessary, and Singlish. Either way, Singlish is thriving, especially with young Singaporeans. When you arrive in Singapore, you will no doubt be confused by some locals' use of words and pronounciations, to help ease the transition here are some examples of what you will hear.

Vocabulary

Singlish is influenced by both British and increasingly American English. It uses many words borrowed from Hokkien, the most important dialect of the Chinese Language in Singapore, and from Malay.

Examples of Singaporean words and Acronyms:

• Ah Beng - uneducated Chinese man, butt of jokes
• aiyah! (Hokkien) or ayoh! - (Malay oh, no! )
• alamak! -- surprise/shock (Malay)
• ang moh - white person, Caucasian (from ang moh kau meaning "red haired monkey", Hokkien)
• boleh - can (Malay)
• COE (Certificate of Entitlement) - (very expensive) permit for car ownership
• CPF (Central Provident Fund) - government savings scheme
• chop - rubber stamp (from Malay cap ) - "Immigration will chop your passport."
• hawker centre - outdoor food court
• kiah su - somebody who fears losing out (Hokkien)
• makan - eat (from Malay)
• HDB (Housing Development Board) - public housing estate
• ISA - Internal Security Act
• Mindef - Ministry of Defence
• MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) Often pronounce as "M, MA, T" - metro system
• NS - National Service
• PAP - Peoples Action Party- governing party since 1959.
• SAF - Singapore Armed Forces
• shiok - cool! (Hokkien)
• sotong -- lit. squid (Malay), fig. stupid (see also "blur")
• ulu - rural, remote
• wah! - wow! (Hokkien)

Popular Phrases

• can ah: can you or can't you?
• can leh: yes, of course
• can lor: yes, I think so
• can hah?: are you sure?
• can hor: you are sure then
• can meh: are you certain?
• die die: no matter what happens
• don't play play: don't fool around
• lah: no translation, Lah is added for emphasis
• lose face: become very embarrassed, lose dignity
• makan: food or as a verb to 'go makan' to go to eat
• no nid: no need
• orready: already
• no stock orready: not in stock
• orso can: no problem
• out station: overseas or away from home
• over orready: none left or the event is finished
• rojak: an Indonesian Malaysian dish but used as a common word for mixture