For Our International Visitors ... a guide to Singaporean English or Singlish

[Darren]

To make sense of some of the terms and wordology used in ClubSNAP, here is a site which provides some useful translations and meaning behind those words like "dun", "tang ku ku", "wah piang", "simi" etc etc.

The Coxford Singlish Dictionary at Talkingcock.com

Note: The site may contain strong language which may be offensive to some. Go here to see disclaimer before acccessing if unsure - Home Page

 

[nEkOgOtCh]

zhun boh (are you sure)? la nang an nee gong ay sai huh (we can talk like this)?

gya si gya dan lang gong si pai gia (I'm afraid that we are viewed as bad boys)

*look ard* kuah simi kuah boh kuah gey ah (what are you looking at? Haven't you seen it before?) ?

hahah

 

[ninelives]

wa liew, this kind of thread also need to stick meh. win liao .

 

[Klause]

wa kuah neko.

Wa Nang Ke Xio Pah Ai Mai?

 

[tomshen]

 

[RuthBaby]

tonite simi tunez?!?!?

 

[thoa_rs]

AI PEE, AI CHEE, AI TUA LIAP NEE :bsmilie:

 

[FND]

Eh Darren,

I think we should try not to use such term and wordology in clubsnap. Even I have difficulty let alone international visitor. Me already embarassed with Singlish.

-FND->

 

[aosis]

No excessive usage of Singlish ...

 

[Darren]

Originally posted by FND
I think we should try not to use such term and wordology in clubsnap. Even I have difficulty let alone international visitor. Me already embarassed with Singlish.

Would love it if everyone here can post in the Queen's English, but realistically, being a public forum, we can't control it, thus, if you can't beat them, join them and put out a guide so that people can at least have a reference.

I too have trouble sometimes with the Hokkien and Mandarin literalisations

 

[FND]

Oh come on, not queen's english!!
Guess, I'll stop posting, Darren. ;p

-FND->

 

[jon33]

Originally posted by FND
Eh Darren,

... Me already embarassed with Singlish.

-FND->

why? is it that bad/shameful? are other forms of english that desirable?

 

[funksoulava]

Originally posted by Darren
Would love it if everyone here can post in the Queen's English, but realistically, being a public forum, we can't control it, thus, if you can't beat them, join them and put out a guide so that people can at least have a reference.

I too have trouble sometimes with the Hokkien and Mandarin literalisations

'wa ma si ah neh seh kong' :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 

[pcwe68]

you talk Hokkien and think its Singlish.
Singlish not Hokkien, Hokkien not Singlish ok.

Singlish is a mix of malay, hokkien etc and broken shortcut english and bad pronounciat..... (how to spell hah?). ok, so don't pray pray. otherwise the angmo kena laugh.

 

[huaiwei]

I am another one of those who choose to actively use Singlish as and when I feel the need to, even thou I am pertetic in it. This is because I am indeed proud of our Singlish heritage, which could be partly due to the influences I got from linguist class in NUS, where the lecturers tend to actively slam the anti-Singlish stance of the govt.

 

[zaren]

singlish: "whether is it..........?"
english: "whether it is............"

please feel free to add more examples!

:bsmilie:

 

[PLRBEAR]

WAH! So powderful one ah? = Goodness! That's so effective!
WAH LAN! = WTF?!
HA?! = WTF?!
YOU SO LAUYA WAN! = Man! You suck!
NO LAH! = You've gotta be kidding me!
GO STUN = Reverse
Don't see me no up kay! = You think i can't do it?!
Eh. Have not? = Is that available?
CHOI! = Go to hell!
NAH BEI! = (Please see "WAH LAN")

 

[jervislim]

WAH! So powderful one ah? = Goodness! That's so effective!
WAH LAN! = WTF?!
HA?! = WTF?!
YOU SO LAUYA WAN! = Man! You suck!
NO LAH! = You've gotta be kidding me!
GO STUN = Reverse
Don't see me no up kay! = You think i can't do it?!
Eh. Have not? = Is that available?
CHOI! = Go to hell!
NAH BEI! = (Please see "WAH LAN")

Nice wan there!
berri good!

 

[glennyong]

soo maluating = very embarassing
ka na sai = Ugly / look like **** / step on ****
ni nia eh = your mother

ba-hahahahahahahahhahaahahhaah i am PROUD to be a Singaporean !! CUZ i learn Chinese using Singlish and i learn Englush using Chinese and Hokkien.. hahahahahhaahhaha.. Singaporean Student Culture.... joIn uS lEhz !! wE arE the mOOst jIa LarT sTudEnt photOgrApheRs ard in tHe weSt !!

 

[zod]

there are many types of english

Australia English
Belize English
Canada English
Carribean English
Ireland English
Jamaica English
New Zealand English
Phillipines English
South Africa English
Trinidad English
United Kingdom English
United States English
Zimbawe English

why can't we promote Singapore English, aka Singlish