Although English is widely spoken in Singapore and is indeed one of the official languages, the four languages recognized by the government are English, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil. It is therefore always handy to have a few phrases up your sleeve with which to impress the taxi uncle or wet market auntie!
With more than 70 percent of the population here being Chinese, speaking a little Mandarin is a sure-fire way to impress! More brownie points if you speak a Chinese vernacular.
Here's some basics to get you started:
Hello - Ni hao (Nee how)
Please - qing (ching)
Very good - Hen hao (hern hao)
Sorry - Duì bú qi (dweì bú chien)
Pardon the interruption - Da rao yi xia (dah rawr yee shiah)
Thank you - Xiè xiè (shièh shièh)
How much - Duo shao qian (dwo shaow chien)
Do you speak English - Ni huì jiang Yingyu ma? (Nee huei jeeang Ying you ma.)
I don't understand - Wo ting bù dong.
Friends - péngyou (pung yo)
Good-bye - Zaìjiàn (dsaì jiàn)
Malay or Bahasa Malaysia (the language of Malaysia) is the second most widely spoken Mother Tongue here, after Mandarin. Besides, many Singlish words also originate from Malay so you can kill two birds with one stone! Here are some everyday phrases to get you started:
How do you do?: Apa khabar?
Fine: Baik
Good morning: Selamat pagi
Good afternoon: Selamat tengah hari
Goodbye: Selamat tinggal
Yes: Ya
No: Tidak
Thank you: Terima kasih
You’re welcome: Sama-sama
Please: Tolong/sila
Excuse me: Maafkan saya [Maaf]
I am sorry: Minta maaf [Maaf]
How much?: Berapa harga?
That’s too expensive: Mahal sangat
Where is the toilet?: Di mana tandas?
You're pretty sure the people around you are speaking English, yet have no idea what they are actually saying! Welcome to the world of Singlish - the most widely spoken vernacular here. Singlish is English with a mix of the other official languages and some Chinese dialects together with some "singlish" words. You won't be expected to speak it if you aren't local, but you might have found out that "lah" is not the only word you need to know to catch the drift of the the conversation...
Arrow: to "delegate" a task to someone
Catch No Ball: to fail to understand something
Chop-chop kali pok: hurry up
Eat Snake (from Hokkien): to skive
Go Stun: reverse
Goondu (from Malay): idiotic
Kaki (from Malay): partner. E.g. Mahjong kaki
Karung Guni: rag-and-bone man
Kelong (from Malay): match-fixing
Merlion: to vomit (spew like the Merlion)
Sabo: Sabotage
Shiok: pleasure
Armed with your new vernacular, hit the wet market and have fun!
Written by Fay Ashworth and Elaine Pang of Singapore Expat Solutions
Singapore Expat Solutions offer relocation and lifestyle services that help expatriates call Singapore home. Their range of services were established through their own experiences of being expatriates and wanting to make life easier for everyone setting up home on the little red dot. Find out how Singapore Expat Solutions can make your life easier!
