The Story Behind Singlish

If you’re spooning mounds of sticky rice onto your plate at your favorite lunch buffet and someone behind you says, “Chop chop kali pok!” should you: A) kindly tell them the time B) pass them a pair of chopsticks, or C) hurry up? Chances are, if you don’t speed up your spooning, you’ll hear another common Singlish phrase, “Alamak!” Although English is the official language of Singapore, Singlish is the local lingo. This fun, snappy hybrid language reflects the Lion City’s unique history and multiculturalism as it fuses words originating from several languages, including Malay, English, Hokkien, Mandarin, and Tamil. Many Singaporeans can switch easily between Singlish in informal settings and Standard English at school, work, and other formal settings. Uniquely Singaporean The Singaporean government recognizes Singlish as a cultural marker for many Singaporeans, but it encourages citizens to speak and write in Standard English. Despite campaigns like the Speak Good English Movement, Singlish persists. It has permeated pop culture and is used increasingly in movies, books, and music. Singlish defies many rules found in English grammar books. Plural words, verbs, and prepositions are often omitted, and

sometimes prepositions are used as verbs, as in, “Can you off the light?” And while Singlish’s sentence structure may irk an English teacher, the lingo can help build rapport with Singaporeans. Words You Should Know Kopi means coffee, and if you like less sugar in your cup of Joe, you would ask the kopi kia (coffee barista) for a kopi siew tai. The kopi kia would likely say an enthusiastic, “can” or “can, can!” Leh, lor, and lah are discourse particles used at the end of sentences, meaning they direct the flow of conversation or reflect an attitude. Leh indicates uncertainty, lor shows a sense of resignation, and lah can express affirmation, exasperation, or exclamation, depending on how it’s used. Want to Learn More Singlish? Singlishdictionary.com is your go-to place for the etymology and definitions of Singlish words. If you want to test your knowledge of Singlish and other Singapore facts, download the SG Trivia app. Another fun, must-have app is Hello Singlish Stickers, which lets you send colorful Singlish stickers in your text messages. It’s guaranteed to make your texts so shiok, lah!

When Emily isn’t out exploring beautiful Singapore or playing tennis, she’s writing her novel, magazine articles, or blog posts on emilyoberton.com.