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Language
Singaporeans speak a variety of languages and dialects amongst
family and friends, but English unites everyone. It is the common
language spoken by all, and visitors will find it in use everywhere
they go.
Signs
in Singapore are also written in English. However, you may be
speaking English, and still find communication with some cab drivers,
for instance, more difficult.
Singaporeans
have derived their own version of English known as Singlish. It
combines various intonations of Malay and different sections of
the various Chinese dialects.
| Singlish
Phrases |
Translation |
| Blur
(adj) |
A
blur person is someone who has difficulty understanding something.
An example of Singlish usage - "Why you so blur?" |
| Boh-Chup
(adj) |
Hokkien
expression, meaning couldn't care less. Someone with a Boh-Chup
attitude is one who could not be bothered. |
| Catch
no ball (verb) |
Literally
from the Hokkien expression "lia boh kiu"
which is used metaphorically to mean "I don't understand." |
| Chim
(adj) |
Literally
from Hokkien meaning deep, but used metaphorically to mean
profound, as in, "The professor's lecture was very
chim." |
| Cut
(verb) |
Literally
from Hokkien "kuak," meaning to overtake,
as in "His car cut mine." |
| Havoc
(adj) |
A
havoc person is someone who is wild, uncontrollable and given
to impulsive behaviour. |
| Hawker
(noun) |
A
person who runs a food stall, as in "This hawker sells
good Mee Pok." He usually specialises in one or two
local specialties. |
| Hawker
centre (noun) |
A
place where hawkers sell their food and there are clusters
of stools and tables for customers. |
| Kiasu
(adj) |
A
Hokkien expression literally meaning being afraid of losing.
Generally refers to an attitude of overzealousness in an effort
to be better than the next guy or not to lose face. |
| Kayu
(adj) |
From
Malay meaning wood or wooden, but used metaphorically to mean
stupid or dumb. |
| La |
A
famous Singaporean expression usually used at the end of a
sentence. Equivalent of the Canadian "Eh." |
| Shiok
(adj) |
From
Straits Chinese meaning fantastic, marvellous, as in "Wah,
that prawn mee soup was shiok!" |
| Sotong
(noun) |
A
Malay word for squid, but is used to refer to someone who
is"blur." (Contributed by Magdalene Lee) |
| Suaku
(noun) |
Literally
Hokkien for mountain tortoise but used metaphorically to mean
country bumpkin. |
| Terok
(adj) |
From
Malay meaning troublesome, difficult, as in "That
customer was very terok." |
| Ulu
(adj/noun) |
From
Malay meaning rural, from the countryside. |
| Wah
(expression) |
An
expression, usually at something unbelievably good, like "Wah,
free ah!" |
Source:
Partly extracted from Lee Geok Boi's article in November-December
1996 of "Singapore."
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