Although the local slang spoken in Singapore is not officially recognized as a language, it is very interesting for worldwide tourists and foreigners to have a better idea about the special "Singlish". Singlish is result of a mix of languages such as Chinese, English, Tamil, Malay and local dialects. Some of the people may consider Singlish as a reflex of cultural diversity in Singapore, on the opposed side, it is no more than a colloquialism which contains a lot of grammar. Independent of your preference, understand a bit of Singlish is useful and will renew your concept about the possibilities of English. If you are staying in Singapore for longer periods, it is definitely  helpful for you to learn Singlish.

 

The most common expression used by the locals is "lah", Singlish sentences normally can end with "lah". It at same time softens the power of an entices and utterance solidarity, also can signal power.

 

Other expressions in Singlish include:

 

Uncle / Auntie A respectful way when referring to elder people.

Dohwan “I don’t want it.” / “No, thanks.”

Oh, izzit? “Oh, is that true?” / “That’s interesting.”

Kiasu Term used to denominate the competitive spirit of Singaporeans. The expression originates from Chinese words meaning “fear of losing”.

Don’t pray pray ah! “Don’t mess around!”

Alamak! Generally means incredulity

So how? “So what do we do now?”

Lai dat also can? “Is it acceptable?”

Can can! “Yes, Sure.”

 

So don't be afraid and feel strange if any your homestay owner family tell you to "don't pray pray" if you want to stay with them; or when you ask whether a specific hostel has vacancy and they answer you "Can can!". You can also adapt yourself into this local slang by using Auntie or Uncle when you are speaking to someone older and answer to some offering by saying "Dohwan".

 

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