Ben1223 said:
Relax my dear.
The photographers here are not going to join and compete for the next elections
We do what we need and what is appropriate with sense. All adults here. There is no need to go head over heel for this matter
For Our International Visitors ... a guide to Singaporean English or Singlish
- Thread starter Darren
- Start date
Relax my dear.
The photographers here are not going to join and compete for the next elections
We do what we need and what is appropriate with sense. All adults here. There is no need to go head over heel for this matter
Ben1223 said:
I've been living in the USA for the past few years. "American English" is not "proper" English either. Even worse, a significant part of the American populace doesn't seem to be able to write a coherent sentence. In comparison, I find Singlish rather benign - and if there is the occasional Hokkien or Malay word, I can look it up, figure it out from context, ask for an explanation, or just work around it. I don't understand all of the American slang either, and yet I've managed fairly well.
I'm sometimes amazed that people complain about losing their cultural identity to the west - to me the pressure to westernize appears to be mostly "made in Singapore".
Yes, I'm an Ang Mor ;p
Why is there even a debate on this? Sigh...
Well, like mentioned earlier, there's a mix-up of Hokkien and Singlish. Singlish is a mixture of Hokkien, Cantonese, Malay etc. It's just a colloquial way of communicating that Singaporeans have adopted. Personally I use lots of Singlish too, especially when talking to friends. It just makes me feel closer to home and lets me express myself better sometimes, especially with words of frustration like 'walau'.
And for the earlier posts in this thread that are entirely in Hokkien, what are the chances of coming across them in ClubSnap? I'm a rather regular ClubSnapper, but I've only come across posts like this perhaps a couple of times. For those of you who want to flaunt your Hokkien, there are other better avenues to do it. It really is a pain trying to decode an entire message in Hokkien.
So, back to the main issue of Singlish. Is there anything wrong with speaking Singlish? No, nothing wrong of course, as long as you can still speak proper English and be understood on an international level. So whoever is ashamed of it, I don't think you should be. Be proud that it's a Singaporean thing.
As for the occasional non-English words that appear, it is inevitable and I guess those ignorant to it will have to clarify on an occasional basis. Not a big problem huh?
I wish to end by stating that this post is not intended to flame anyone, so in reciprocation, I don't wished to be flamed as well. I'm merely stating my own views.
Well, like mentioned earlier, there's a mix-up of Hokkien and Singlish. Singlish is a mixture of Hokkien, Cantonese, Malay etc. It's just a colloquial way of communicating that Singaporeans have adopted. Personally I use lots of Singlish too, especially when talking to friends. It just makes me feel closer to home and lets me express myself better sometimes, especially with words of frustration like 'walau'.
And for the earlier posts in this thread that are entirely in Hokkien, what are the chances of coming across them in ClubSnap? I'm a rather regular ClubSnapper, but I've only come across posts like this perhaps a couple of times. For those of you who want to flaunt your Hokkien, there are other better avenues to do it. It really is a pain trying to decode an entire message in Hokkien.
So, back to the main issue of Singlish. Is there anything wrong with speaking Singlish? No, nothing wrong of course, as long as you can still speak proper English and be understood on an international level. So whoever is ashamed of it, I don't think you should be. Be proud that it's a Singaporean thing.
As for the occasional non-English words that appear, it is inevitable and I guess those ignorant to it will have to clarify on an occasional basis. Not a big problem huh?
I wish to end by stating that this post is not intended to flame anyone, so in reciprocation, I don't wished to be flamed as well. I'm merely stating my own views.
In the USA, they speaks Spanglish. I have seen the book in the US showing the meanings of Spanish/English coined together.
AReality said:
Why is it necessary to start a new language? Singlish is our very own variant of the Commonwealth English language, with our own favour.
Despite the awkward-looking future of this variant, Singlish still belong to US, the SINGAPOREANS. We have the ultimate the decision whether to keep it or not. I often chose to speak and write in formal Commonwealth English as deemed necessary, but to friends, its all Singlish man.
Just make a right decision, theres no need to abolish in totality, just depend on how your juggle between the 2 variants. After all, they are ENGLISH. You will be surprised to find words like "kiasu" in the Oxford Dictionary.
Singlish is more of a dialect, like Hokkien, which isn't taught or used like a real language. It grew up among the kampongs of Malaysia/Singapore when it was introduced by the British in a hope to improve communication between the 3 races. The early days used mostly Malay and English words, but nowadays, I'm seeing more and more Chinese/Hokkien words thrown into the mix.
Having said that, Singlish is unique in the sense that it is a dialect that forces you to use words from other dialects/languages and combine them with your own mother tongue. I guess foreigners can mix in their own of Italian/German/Spanish and see what they come up with
I found that after speaking to most Singaporeans they can't really get away from Singlish as it has become a habit of speech for them. As for my fake accent
Personally, I could not really immerse myself in Singlish except for the occasional "lah" or "wahlao".
BTW, I couldn't find the word "kiasu" in the Oxford dictionary or Merriam-Webber.
Having said that, Singlish is unique in the sense that it is a dialect that forces you to use words from other dialects/languages and combine them with your own mother tongue. I guess foreigners can mix in their own of Italian/German/Spanish and see what they come up with
I found that after speaking to most Singaporeans they can't really get away from Singlish as it has become a habit of speech for them. As for my fake accent
Personally, I could not really immerse myself in Singlish except for the occasional "lah" or "wahlao".
BTW, I couldn't find the word "kiasu" in the Oxford dictionary or Merriam-Webber.
Seriously, as for a "dialect", it will do only justice for supports for mainstream commonwealth English.
Singlish to me is more like a national identity, in the midst of pervasive westernisation - and to present a friendlier side of me, say to close friends. I will use "Eh what are you doing? Get a life lar tuten."
I use lots of constructed words, and perhaps you should know, I am feverly attracted to the idea of our very own local language. I have spent almost the past 4 years revising a language I called "Roamfreun", with her own set of writing system using latin alphabets, phonology and orthography. I am not trained though in linguistic, sort of a pastime for me.
Singlish to me is more like a national identity, in the midst of pervasive westernisation - and to present a friendlier side of me, say to close friends. I will use "Eh what are you doing? Get a life lar tuten."
I use lots of constructed words, and perhaps you should know, I am feverly attracted to the idea of our very own local language. I have spent almost the past 4 years revising a language I called "Roamfreun", with her own set of writing system using latin alphabets, phonology and orthography. I am not trained though in linguistic, sort of a pastime for me.
Look at Lau Pa Sat.
Pa Sat is 'hokkien-ised' Malay. The original word is Pasar.
Lau is 'old'.
Many Chinese dialects sound alike. Lau and Pasat can be hokkien or teochew, and only in Nanyang.
Lau Pa Sat, is in hokkien and hokkienised malay. :bsmilie:
Pa Sat is 'hokkien-ised' Malay. The original word is Pasar.
Lau is 'old'.
Many Chinese dialects sound alike. Lau and Pasat can be hokkien or teochew, and only in Nanyang.
Lau Pa Sat, is in hokkien and hokkienised malay. :bsmilie:
E: Can you please wait a min?
S: Wait ah!
E: Can you please help me with this?
S: Can help or not?
Not sure if this is in the Coxford dictionary...
Peanuts = S$600,000
Haha lol:bsmilie:
I miss SG!
Famous Singlish sentences:
- This book you want or not? – Do you want this book?
- Can or not? – Is this possible / permissible?
- Dis country weather very hot one. – In this country, the weather is very warm.
- Dat person there cannot trust. – That person over there is not trustworthy.
- Tomorrow dun need bring camera. – You don't need to bring a camera tomorrow.
- He play soccer also very good one leh. – He's very good at playing soccer too.
- Not good one lah. – This isn't good.
- Cannot anihow go liddat one leh. – You/it can't go just like that.
- How come never show up? – Why didn't you/he/it show up? (See the use of never in place of didn't under the "Past tense" section.)
- I li badminton, dat's why I every weekend go play. – I like badminton, so I play it every weekend.
- He not feel well, so he stay home sleep lor. – He's not feeling well, so he decided to stay home and sleep.
- Your computer got virus anot? (Does your computer have viruses?)
- I still finding.
- How come you so late you still playing music, ah?
- You looking for trouble, izzit?
- Dat one de wife lah. ("That lady is his wife.")
- Dis boy the class monitor. (=class president)
- His house in Ang Mo Kio.
- He talk for so long, never stop, not even when I ask him.
- When I was young, ah, I go to school every day.
- When he was in school, he always get good marks one.
- Last night I mug so much, so sian already.
- Aiyah, cannot wait any more, must go oreddy. (Oh dear, I cannot wait any longer. I must leave immediately.)
- Yesterday, dey go there oreddy. (They already went there yesterday.)
- Ah Song kena sai oreddy, then how? (If Ah Song were to get in trouble, what would you do?)
- He throw it liao. (He has already thrown it away.)
- I eat liao. (I ate or I have eaten.)
- This new game, you play liao or not? (As for this new game, have you played it yet?)
- Alamak, you guys never read newspaper is it? – "What, haven't you guys ever read a newspaper?" (No wonder you aren't up to date!)
- You go ting ting a little bit, maybe den you will get answer. (Go and think over it for a while, and then you might understand.)
- Want to go Orcher walk walk see see or not? (Let's go shopping/sightseeing at Orchard Road.)
- Dun anyhow touch here touch there leh. (Please don't mess with my things.)
- My boy-boy is going to Primary One oreddy. (My son is about to enter Year/Grade/Standard One.)
- We two fren-fren one. (We are close friends.)
- We buddy-buddy. You don't play me out, OK?
- Im the kind who is buddy-buddy person
- Dun listen to me, later you kena.
- Wah lau! So stupid one! - Oh my gosh! He's so stupid!
- I do everything by habit one. - I always do everything by habit.
- He never go school one. - He doesn't go to school (unlike other people).
- Drink lah!
- I dun have lah!
- Dun know oreddy lah!
- This one also can work one mah!
- Okay lor, you do what you want.
- How come you don't give me leh?
- This shopping centre very nice horh
- You going again ar?
- They never study meh?
- Wahlau, heng siah.
- "Ah boy, don't run here run there, wait you fall down then you know ar."
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