LET'S LEARN GOOD ENGLISH ONLINE

This section is intended as a practical guide to the English language. It helps readers understand why Singlish is
inappropriate, points out the common mistakes of the language, and offers alternatives to Singlish
words/phrasing. The examples are taken from familiar settings such as a classroom presentation, a jo interview
and interaction with foreigners, etc. !e hope that these examples will give Singaporeans a sense of how, when,
and why good English should e used.
". #ood English
$. Educational/Social settings
%. &ommercial/'rofessional setings
(. Interacting with foreigners
). &ommon singlish expressions and their *#ood English* e+uivalents
,. - glossary of common singlish words and their *#ood English* e+uivalents

Good English
*#ood English* can e identified when.
vers are marked as singular/plural, past tense, etc. /e.g. *0enny loves oranges*, *!e talked to him
yesterday*12
nouns are marked as singular/plural /e.g. *3hai 4eng has two dogs*12
sentences are usually joined up clearly /e.g. *If you are tired, don*t do any more* instead of *Tired, don*t
do any more*12
endings like *lah*, *lor*, *leh*, *what* are not used2 and
very informal Singlish words are avoided /e.g. *koyak, *ochap*1.


Educational/Social Settings
In educational, and more formal types of social settings, it is important to use good English when we want to
communicate clearly and precisely. !hen we speak well, others can understand us more easily. 5sing Singlish in
educational and formal social settings may give the impression that we are not proficient in English. - student
who uses Singlish in the classroom may e thought to have less academic potential than one who speaks good
English.


A Seminar Tea-rea!
This is a semi6formal setting, where the seminar participant meets the lecturer at a seminar.
"rs #aina$ % Lecturer& "ichael % 'artici(ant
4rs 7aina. 8i9 I haven*t seen you in +uite a while9 8ow have you een:
4ichael. 4e ah: ;kay lor.
4rs 7aina. <ou weren*t here for the last seminar session. !here have you een:
4ichael. 4y parents want me to take them on holiday.
4rs 7aina. ;h, I see9 !here did you go:
4ichael. 4y family at first don*t know where to go one. So, think6think6think. 4y father say
want to drive up to 4alacca. 4y mother say want go 'enang to see auntie. So talk6
talk6talk until I got headache then I say, *#o 'enang can stop 4alacca what9* -ll like
my idea, ut in the end kena take coach, father say cannot drive so far away.
$ac! to to(
$ac! to to(
4rs 7aina. Sorry, who did you go to 'enang with:
4ichael. ;h, father, mother, myself, sister, auntie and maid.
4rs 7aina. =id you have a good time:
4ichael. ;kay lor.
Too many *ahs* and *lors* are not appropriate in this semi6formal setting. 4ichael gives the impression that he is
not serious, and may even appear flippant.
')ant' or ')anted'*
The vers used should e consistent with the time of the action. Since 4ichael is mainly telling 4rs 7aina aout
what happened in the past, the past tense forms of the ver should have een used. >or example, *want* and
*don*t know* should e in their past tense forms, *wanted* and *didn*t know*.
'Thin!-thin!-thin!'
4ichael used a Singaporean way of telling 4rs 7aina that something continued for a long time y repeating the
ver. *think6think6think* and *talk6talk6talk*. To communicate this in a professional manner, we should say, *They
thought aout it for a long time* or *They talked on and on aout it*. The *6ing* form of the ver is also useful for
signalling this, as in *They kept thinking aout it* or *They went on talking aout it* or *They were talking aout it*.
-nother way of doing it which is more informal is to use the ver twice, joined with *and*, as in *They thought and
thought aout it* or *They talked and talked aout it*.
'ossi$le Alternati+e
4rs 7aina. 8i9 I haven*t seen you in +uite a while9 8ow have you een:
4ichael. I*m fine, thank you9
4rs 7aina. <ou weren*t here for the last seminar session. !here have you een:
4ichael. 4y parents wanted me to accompany them on a holiday.
4rs 7aina. ;h, I see9 !here did you go:
4ichael. -t first, my family didn*t know where to go. So, they kept on thinking aout it. 4y
father wanted to drive up to 4alacca. ?ut my mother wanted to go to 'enang to
see my auntie. !e were talking aout it until I got headache. Then I said, *If we go
to 'enang, we can surely stop in 4alacca as well9* Everyone liked my idea, ut in
the the end, we had to take a coach, ecause my father said it was too far away to
drive.
4rs 7aina. Sorry, who did you go to 'enang with:
4ichael. ;h, my father, my mother, my sister, my auntie and our maid.
4rs 7aina. =id you have a good time:
4ichael. It was okay.


A ,lass 'resentation
-t school, pupils are sometimes asked to give presentations, and usually, they would have spent some time
making sure that the language was sufficiently clear. 8ere is the eginning of a presentation given y a student.
oon Seong % Student
?oon Seong. #ood morning. In my report on local history, I would talk aout what my
grandfather tells aout what happened during 0apanese ;ccupation in Singapore.
8e said 0apanese very ias against &hinese people ecause &hina and 0apan
already at war. If you wear spectacles, worse for you. They say, you think you so
smart, is it: !e will catch you and torture you. So my grandfather, although his
eyes not very good, stop wearing spectacles. Then got very little food, so if you got
garden you plant things like sweet potato. Sweet potato very good ecause you
can eat root and leaves.
')ill' +ersus ')ould'
$ac! to to(
4any Singaporean speakers find the helping vers like *will*, *would*, *may*, *can*, and so on, rather difficult to use,
and this student is no exception. In saying *I would talk aout what my grandfather tells@*, the student appears
uncertain aout what the actual topic of the talk is, and creates the impression that the talk is not well thought
out.
In good English, we use the present tense forms *will*, *can* and *may* to indicate that the action is more definite,
and the past tense forms *would*, *could* and *might* to show that we are less certain aout what we want to say.
>or example, we would say *!e can/will go to the party* if we are sure of our plans, ut we would say *!e might
go to the party* if we are not sure if we would turn up, or *!e could go to the party* if we are offering a
suggestion. In this scenario, ?oon Seong should have used *will talk* to show that he is sure and confident of
himself.
eing 'olite
8owever, when we want to ask someone a +uestion or get someone to do something for us, it is more polite to
sound less definite. - re+uest like *&ould you get me the pen:* is more polite than *&an you get me the pen:*
ecause it makes us sound less certain that the other person will do what you ask, and therefore this appears to
give more choice to the other person.
'I- . Then'
In sentences involving *If/!hen@ /then1@* /e.g., *If/!hen you go to a party, /then1 you should ring the hosts a
gift*1, good English re+uires the part of the sentence that sometimes egins with *then* to include helping vers.
?oon Seong uses two such sentences. *If you wear spectacles, worse for you* and *If you got garden you plant
things like sweet potato*. These sentences can then e changed to. *If you wore spectacles, /then1 it /ould $e
worse for you* and *If you had a garden, /then1 you /ould (lant things like sweet potato*.
'Is It*'
!e sometimes use particles like *ah* instead of +uestion tags /e.g., *aren*t you:*, *will you:* and so on1. !e also
use *is it:* all the time. !e can see this in the presentation aove. *<ou think you so smart, is it:* In good English,
the ver in the tag depends on ver in the main part of the sentence.
often it is *do* /in its various forms. *did*, *does*1, e.g. *<ou li!e it, don't you:*
if the main part of the sentence has *e* /in its various forms. *am*, *is*, *are*, *was*, *were*1, then it should
e the same, e.g. *<ou are late, aren't you:*
if the main part of the sentence has a helping ver /*will*, *can*, *have*, etc.1, it should e the same, e.g.
*She /ill not go, /ill she:*
Aotice that if the main part of the sentence does not have *not* /*n*t*1 then the tag will have it /*8e*s tall, isn*t he:*
or *8e*s tall, is he not:*12 if the main part has it, the tag will not have it /*8e*s not tall, is he:*1.
So, instead of *<ou think you so smart, is it:*, ?oon Seong should have said. *<ou think you are so smart, don*t
you:
'ossi$le Alternati+e
?oon Seong. #ood morning. In my report on local history, I will talk aout what my grandfather
told me aout what happened during the 0apanese ;ccupation in Singapore. 8e
said that the 0apanese were very iased against the &hinese ecause &hina and
0apan were already at war. If you wore spectacles, it would e worse for you. They
said, *<ou think you are so smart, don*t you: !e will catch you and torture you.* So
my grandfather, although his eyes were not very good, stopped wearing
spectacles. There was then very little food, so if you had a garden you would plant
things like sweet potato. Sweet potato is very good ecause you can eat the root
and leaves.


,ommercial/'ro-essional Settings
8ow we speak or the kind of English that we use affects the impression that other people have of us. This is even
more important in situations where we do not know the other person/s1, such as during interviews, sales
negotiations with clients, and usiness meetings/transactions. !hile Singlish may e good for socialising with
friends, it will not create a good impression in formal situations. In all these professional settings, Singlish does
not count as good English, and does not help to create the right impression.
$ac! to to(
$ac! to to(

Recei+ing a cor(orate client
"r I$rahim % client& "s Lim % rece(tionist
4r Irahim. &an I see 4r Tan:
4s Bim. #ot appointment or not:
4r Irahim. ;h, I*m sorry, ut I don*t have an appointment.
4s Bim. 4ust make appointment. 8e very usy one.
4r Irahim. This is actually +uite urgent. &an I wait until he*s free:
4s Bim. ;3 lor. <ou wait there ah.
!hile oth the client and the receptionist understand each other perfectly, it is clear that the receptionist*s use of
Singlish gives the company a ad image. In Singlish, there is a tendency to leave out the suject in +uestions
/e.g., *#ot appointment or not:*1 and statements /*4ust make appointment*1.
-lso, countale nouns such as *appointment* need to take words like *the*, *a* or *an* efore they can e used.
8owever, notice that the receptionist does not use *an* with *appointment*, unlike the client who does. This gives
the impression that the receptionist is a less educated person than the client.
!here good first impressions count, dropping the ver *e* /in all its various forms. *am/is/are/were*1 is
inappropriate. Instead of saying *8e very usy one*, we should say *8e is very usy*.
'ossi$le alternati+e
4r Irahim. &an I see 4r Tan:
4s Bim. =o you have an appointment:
4r Irahim. ;h, I*m sorry, ut I don*t have an appointment.
4s Bim. I*m sorry, ut you need to make appointment. 8e*s a very usy man.
4r Irahim. This is actually +uite urgent. &an I wait until he*s free:
4s Bim. ;3. <ou can wait over there.


A 0o$ inter+ie/
"r Das %inter+ie/er& "r Lee%a((licant
4r =as. <our +ualifications are +uite impressive, ut so are those of the other two. !hat
sets you apart from the others:
4r Bee. I think I got a lot of initiatives and leadership +ualities. I ever lead project teams
efore wherey I make decisions after I get input from the team memers. -lso, I
very serious aout work one, I never anyhow play6play type. I don*t like to just
talk6talk6talk ut do nothing.
4r =as. !ell, that*s good to know. !ould you e ale to work on different projects
simultaneously, and do you have any prolems with eing posted overseas:
4r Bee. Ao prolem one. If kena many projects, can. If kena post overseas, also can. In
fact, overseas more nicer than working here ecause I like to travel what.
The applicant 4r Bee is using Singlish and in the process, is not only speaking inappropriately, ut is not
communicating clearly. 8e does not seem to e aware that only countale nouns take the *6s* plural, as in
*car/cars, ook/ooks*. 5ncountale nouns such as *initiative* do not have a plural form. 5nfortunately, we cannot
always tell from looking at a noun whether it is countale or uncountale, and we therefore need to rememer
which category a particular noun elongs to2 *decision*, *+uality* and *experience* are countale nouns, and so they
take the plural.
'"ore Nicer'& '"ore igger'
$ac! to to(
Singlish speakers often use expressions like *more nicer*, *more igger*, when comparing two things /e.g., *<our
new flat more nicer than the old one*1. This is incorrect. The adjective *nice* already has a comparative form
*nicer*. Therefore, the comparative *more* should not e used /e.g., *<our new flat is nicer than the old one*1.
*4ore* can e used when the adjective has no comparative form. >or example, it is not possile to say *seriouser/
expensiver*, so in this case, *more serious/ more expensive* is acceptale.
'ossi$le alternati+e
4r =as. <our +ualifications are +uite impressive, ut so are those of the other two. !hat
sets you apart from the others:
4r Bee. I think I got a lot of initiatives and leadership +ualities. I ever lead project teams
efore wherey I make decisions after I get input from the team memers. -lso, I
very serious aout work one, I never anyhow play6play type. I don*t like to just
talk6talk6talk ut do nothing.
4r =as. !ell, that*s good to know. !ould you e ale to work on different projects
simultaneously, and do you have any prolems with eing posted overseas:
4r Bee. Ao prolem one. If kena many projects, can. If kena post overseas, also can. In
fact, overseas more nicer than working here ecause I like to travel what.


A sales transaction
"rs )ong %customer& "r Tan %sales(erson
4rs !ong. This one how much ah:
4r Tan. It*s one hundred and fifty dollars, including tax.
4rs !ong. So expensive one ah: #ot discount or not: 8undred and fifty not worth it.
4r Tan. I*m sorry ut there*s no discount for this specific item. 'erhaps I can show you
another model:
4rs !ong. Ao need lah. I only like this one. The others all +uite oiang. I always kena like
this2 the one I like is the most expensive. ;k lor, let me try6try first. If really nice,
then I uy lor. If not nice, then never mind.
4r Tan. Sure, here it is.
4rs !ong. !ah. I look very nice9 =ie lah9
'Run-run'& ''la1-(la1'
Singlish speakers often repeat a ver /e.g., *try6try*, *run6run*, *play6play*1 to indicate doing something for a short
period of time or in a trivial manner. This is not acceptale. >or good, formal English, we would have to add *a
while* or *a it* to communicate the same idea.
'2ena'
Singlish speakers also use the 4alay loan word *kena* to indicate that one is having an experience, usually
unpleasant, over which one has no control. In speaking good English, oviously, we would not use *kena*. The
same applies to the word *oiang*, which is used to mean *garish* or *gaudy*, and other Singlish words like *chim*
/*difficult to understand*1, *pai seh* /*emarrassing*1, *teruk* /*terrile*1, *loang* /*opening*1, and so on. /See the
end of the ook for more Singlish items and their e+uivalents.1 It is important to realise that no matter what
language we speak, we should speak it correctly and with pride to ensure that we are clearly understood.
'ossi$le alternati+e
4rs !ong. 8ow much is this:
4r Tan. It*s one hundred and fifty dollars, including tax.
4rs !ong. It*s so expensive9 Is there a discount or not: It*s not worth paying hundred and
fifty for.
4r Tan. I*m sorry ut there*s no discount for this specific item. 'erhaps I can show you
another model:
4rs !ong. Ao need. This is the only one I like. The others are all +uite awful6looking. It*s
$ac! to to(
always the case. the one I like turns out to e the most expensive. ;k, let me try
it first. If it really looks nice, then I*ll uy it. If not, then never mind.
4r Tan. Sure, here it is.
4rs !ong. !ow. I look very nice9 ;h, no9


Interacting /ith 3oreigners
!hen -mericans have a *wrap* for lunch, it does not mean that they are eating some plastic film/wrap. In this
case, a *wrap* is a piece of dough with savoury filling /like a *popiah* that Singaporeans are familiar with1. This use
of *wrap* is unfamiliar to most Singaporeans, and will proaly only e widely used in Singapore if an -merican
chain opens a food outlet here selling *wraps*.
Similarly, there are many words and expressions that we use in Singapore which foreigners, and others who did
not grow up in Singapore, do not understand /e.g., the word *popiah* itself91. !e have also developed new
meanings for some English words /e.g., the Singlish word *lur* means *stupid, confused*1, and non6Singlish
speakers, who may not e aware of these new meanings, will have troule understanding what we mean. &asual
conversation with foreigners is challenging, in that we need to strike a alance etween eing casual, and eing
easily understood.


"eeting at the air(ort
Ali % Singa(orean& "arco % tourist
-li. 8i9 !elcome to Singapore9
4arco. It*s great to e here9
-li. !ould you like me to send you to the hotel now:
4arco. <ou mean, you won*t e coming along:
-li. ;f course I will9: -fter that, I*m also supposed to fetch you to the office.
4arco. ;kay, ut I*ll first have to re6confirm my return tickets at the airline counter.
-li. ;kay, I*ll follow you there.
4arco. !hy don*t we go together:
'Send'& '3etch'& 'ring'& 'Ta!e'
4arco is confused y the offer to e *sent* to the hotel, ecause generally, the sender does not accompany the
thing that is sent. Speakers of Singlish often use *send* when they are offering someone a lift, and they certainly
mean to accompany the passenger. Instead, we should say, *&an we give you a lift somewhere:*
In Singlish, we use *send/ fetch/ ring/ take someone somewhere* to mean accompanying someone, or giving
someone a lift somewhere. 8owever, non6Singlish speakers use them +uite differently. *>etch* implies that the
fetcher is on an errand that starts at point x, and returns with the oject of the errand to point x /e.g., someone
needing to write something down while on the telephone might say, *>etch me a pencil, please*1. *?ring* implies
motion towards the place where the speaker is /e.g., our parents might say, *!hy don*t you ring your friends
home to meet us:*1, and *take* implies motion in the opposite direction /e.g., *4y friends want to take me home to
meet their family*1.
'3ollo/'
!hen offering to *follow* someone, speakers of Singlish proaly mean to go with that person. 8owever, this
confuses 4arco, since *x follows y* is usually understood y non6Singlish speakers to mean *y leads the way, and x
comes after y*. It is important to avoid terms that mislead. Instead, we should say, *I will come with you*, or *I will
accompany you.*
'ossi$le alternati+e
-li. 8i9 !elcome to Singapore9
$ac! to to(
$ac! to to(
4arco. It*s great to e here9
-li. !ould you like me to give you a lift to the hotel now: -fter that, I*ll take you to the
office.
4arco. ;kay, ut I*ll first have to re6confirm my return tickets at the airline counter.
-li. ;kay, I*ll come with you.


Sho((ing
Ling % Singa(orean& ,hris % tourist
&hris. I*d like to uy some rattan items. !here*s a good place to go:
Bing. 8olland Cillage9 There got shops sell rattan furnitures and small items.
&hris. 8olland Cillage: !here*s that:
Bing. <ou take us numer D from 'hoenix 8otel, then ask us driver where to drop.
&hris. !hat else is there to do there:
Bing. &an look at clothes at the Shopping &entre, ut some clothes there very auntie
one.
&hris. -untie::
Bing. ;ld6fashioned lor. There also got many coffee shops 6 Starucks, &offee &lu 6 you
can go sit6sit a while when you*re tired.
In this exchange, Bing realises that the foreigner does not know that *auntie* means *not very trendy* in the local
context, and has to clarify this.
Similarly, using the word *dropping* conjures for non6Singlish speakers the image of something falling out of the
us. They may also wonder if special meanings are attached to *sit6sit* as opposed to *sit*. -gain, it is important to
avoid terms that mislead.
'ossi$le alternati+e
&hris. I*d like to uy some rattan items. !here*s a good place to go:
Bing. 8olland Cillage9 The shops there sell rattan furniture and small items.
&hris. 8olland Cillage: !here*s that:
Bing. <ou take us numer D from the 'hoenix 8otel, and ask the us driver where to
get off.
&hris. !hat else is there to do there:
Bing. <ou can look at clothes at the Shopping &entre, ut some of the clothes can e
very old6fashioned. There are also many coffee shops there 6 Starucks, &offee
&lu 6 you can sit down for a while when you*re tired.


An outing
Leela % Singa(orean& Ichiro % tourist
Ichiro. I*d like to go for a hike.
Beela. ;h, today your off day, is it:
Ichiro. Er, oh no, the day*s een fine so far9: I*d like to take a nature walk.
Beela. <ou can go to ?ukit Timah9 The nature reserve. <ou can see the rainforest, and
monkeys, and utterflies.
$ac! to to(
$ac! to to(
Ichiro. I*d etter pack my sunscreen.
Beela. I*d etter pack my sunscreen.
Ichiro. !hat for: The jungle very shady what.
Some Singaporean speakers use *off day* to refer to their day off from work. 8owever, non6Singlish speakers only
understand the term *off day* to mean a day when they don*t seem to get anything right. 8ence the joke. *Every
day is an off day, if it*s not the day off.*
If Beela and Ichiro are not on familiar terms, the retort *the jungle very shady what* as indicated y the particle
*what* /that Beela thinks it unnecessary to use sunscreen in the shade1 would not e understood y Ichiro.
'ossi$le alternati+e
Ichiro. I*d like to go for a hike.
Beela. ;h, is this your day off: <ou can go to ?ukit Timah9 The nature reserve. <ou can
see the rainforest, and monkeys, and utterflies.
Ichiro. I*d etter pack my sunscreen.
Beela. !ould you need to: I think the jungle is very shady.


,ommon Singlish E4(ressions and Their 'Good English' E5ui+alents
8ere are some common Singlish expressions together with their e+uivalent forms in *good English*. Each Singlish
expression is riefly discussed, and differences etween the Singlish and good English versions are pointed out.
The idea is to alert Singaporeans to the differences etween good English and Singlish and so help them to speak
well and e understood.
Al(ha$et
Singlish. 4y name starts with the alphaet *3*. 8ow many alphaets does your name have:
#ood English. 4y name starts with the letter *3*. 8ow many letters does your name have:
In Singlish, *alphaet* is often used to mean *letter of the alphaet*. In good English, the alphaet refers to the
writing system that consists of $, letters, not the letters themselves.
lur
Singlish. <ou are really lur9 Try not to make so many mistakes9
#ood Engish. <ou are really stupid9 Try not to make so many mistakes9
In Singlish, *lur* is used to descrie someone as eing confused or ignorant. In good English, on the other hand,
*lur* refers to a lack of visual clarity.
,atch no $all
Singlish. 8is instructions are so complex, I catch no all.
#ood English. 8is instructions are so complex, I can*t understand them.
Singlish speakers often use the phrase *catch no all* to indicate that there is a lack of comprehension. This is not
at all a familiar phrase for non6Singlish speakers.
,ho(
Singlish. &an you chop this document for me:
#ood English. &an you stamp this document for me:
To chop something is to cut it into pieces. Aon6Singlish speakers use *stamp* /from *ruer stamp*1 instead of
*chop*.
3etch& send
Singlish. I*ll fetch you to the airport.
$ac! to to(
I*ll send you to the airport.
#ood English. I*ll take you to the airport.
In good English, to fetch someone or something is to go to another place and to then ring them or it ack.
Therefore you cannot fetch someone to the airport although you can fetch someone from the airport.
-lso, if you send someone to the airport, it means that you have caused them to go to the airport, ut you do not
accompany them there. This is +uite different from Singlish where *send* can e used even when the sender
accompanies the person eing sent.
3ollo/
Singlish. &an I follow you:
#ood English. &an I come along with you:
Singlish speakers often use *follow* to mean *accompany* or *get a ride from*. ?ut for non6Singlish speakers, to
follow someone is to e travelling separately from and ehind that person.
Horn
Singlish. The motorist horned at the pedestrian for no reason at all.
#ood English. The motorist lew his horn at the pedestrian for no reason at all.
- horn refers to the device in a car that makes loud warning noise. In Singlish, *horn* is used as a ver to descrie
the action of using the device. ?ut in good English, *horn* is only a noun, and a different ver such as *honk* or a
phrase such as *low one*s horn* must e used instead.
Irregardless
Singlish. !e told them not to do it, ut they went ahead irregardless.
#ood English. !e told them not to do it, ut they went ahead regardless.
Singlish speakers use *irregardless* to mean *without regard*. ?ut this is what *regardless* already means, which
makes the *ir6* in *irregardless* unnecessary. The word itself does not exist in good English.
Is it*
Singlish. 8e*s going home, is it:
They saw the show, is it:
#ood English. 8e was going home, was he:
They weren*t going to see the show, were
they:
2ee(
Singlish. 'lease keep your notes, the +uiE is aout to egin.
#ood English. 'lease put away your notes, the +uiE is aout to egin.
In Singlish, *keep* is often used to mean *put away*. ?ut for non6Singlish speakers, *keep* is never used in this
sense. The closest meaning is the use of *keep* to mean *maintain possession*, as in *3eep your money, I don*t
want it.*
One !ind
Singlish. <ou*re really one kind9 <ou*re always late9
#ood English. <ou*re really too much9 <ou*re always late9
The phrase *one kind* is used in Singlish to accuse someone of eing excessive or unreasonale. In good English,
an informal e+uivalent would e *too much*.
Sir
Singlish. I saw my sir at the shopping centre yesterday.
#ood English. I saw my teacher at the shopping centre yesterday.
In Singlish, *sir* is often used as a common noun to mean *teacher*. ?ut in good English, *sir* is only used as a
form of address, as in *Sir, can you please sign this form:*
To on/to o--
Singlish. If it*s too dark, I can on the lights.
=on*t off the TC2 I want to watch the news.
#ood English. If it*s too dark, I can turn on the lights.
=on*t switch off the TC2 I want to watch the news.
In Singlish, *on* and *off* are often used to descrie the action of /de61activating an electrical appliance. In good
English, these are used with vers such as *switch* or *turn* so that we have *switch on/off* and *turn on/off*
instead.
)ear
Singlish. She went into the room to wear her new dress.
#ood English. She went into the room to put on her new dress.
The ver *wear* descries the state of having something on, and not the action of putting it on. ?ut in Singlish,
*wear* is often used to refer to the action itself.
)here$1
Singlish. I saw an action movie wherey the hero was actually a priest. This is the place wherey the accident
occurred.
#ood English. I saw an action movie where the hero was actually a priest. This is the place where the accident
occurred.
Singlish speakers sometimes use *wherey* instead of *where*, especially if they want to sound more formal. ?ut in
good English, *wherey* is used only if something comes aout as a result of a plan or procedure so that *wherey*
actually means *y which*. 8ere are some examples.
F !e finally came up with a plan wherey the company could save more money.
F The system wherey students register for classes was a ig success.


A Glossar1 o- ,ommon Singlish Items and Their 'Good English' E5ui+alents
!hen we discussed the different settings, we mentioned Singlish words which we need to avoid. To help
Singaporeans speak good English, here is a more complete list with suggestions of other words or phrases that
could e used in their place. 4any of these Singlish items have een orrowed from other Singaporean languages
and dialects. -s these items have een orrowed into Singlish, they might e used a little differently from in the
original languages2 their meanings can e different, or they might e pronounced differently. >or example, *uaya*
means *crocodile* in 4alay ut in Singlish it means *a flirt* or *to flirt*. In 8okkien, *chim* can mean *difficult to
understand* as well as */physically1 deep*, whereas in Singlish, the term only refers to the first meaning. ;ther
items are not orrowed from the local languages, ut have similarly changed in meaning and use from the original
*English*. These include words like *Eap* and *lur*. -s most of these items are spoken rather than written items,
the spelling for some of them is unstale, and we have tried to use the most common spelling.
The source of the Singlish word is indicated in rackets after the word. /4 indicates that the source is 4alay2 8
indicates that the source is 8okkien2 & indicates that the source is &antonese2 and T indicates that the source is
Tamil.1
$ac! to to(
agak6agak /41 to guess or estimate2 guesswork
aiyah /&1 oh no9 other9
alamak /41 oh no9
ang moh /81 &aucasian2 white person2 a !esterner
angkat /41 to curry favour, e.g. instead of *8e always angkat his oss*, we should say *8e
always curries favour with his oss* or *8e sucks up to his oss*
arrow to pick on someody /to perform an unpleasant task1
elanja /41 to give someody a treat, e.g. instead of *I elanja you supper*, we should say, *I
will give you a supper treat*
lur confused2 haEy
ochap /81 easy going2 couldn*t care less
odoh /41 stupid
o pian /81 no choice92 can*t help it
otak /41 ald2 crew6cut
uaya /41 a flirt2 to flirt
chaut, caut /41 to take off2 to escape2 to leave early /from work or from a party12 e.g. instead of
*She chaut after lunch*, we should say *She left after lunch*
chia lat /81 - see jia lat
chiak chua /81 to skive
chim, cheem /81 too complex or sophisticated to e easily understood2 e.g. instead of *That ook
very chim one*, we should say *That is a very complex ook*
chinchai /81 easy6going2 not fussy2 laid ack
chop a ruer stamp2 to ruer stamp
chope to reserve
cut to overtake
fetch to send2 to collect2 instead of *=ad will fetch 4ike from school*, we should say *=ad
will collect 4ike from school*
gara /41 to panic2 panicky2 edgy
garang /41 fierce2 aggressive
gasak /41 to guess2 to do something haphaEardly2 guesswork2 instead of *I just gasak during
the exam*, we should say *I just guessed the answers during the exam*
gila /41 craEy2 mad
goondu /T1 a fool2 foolish
gostan /from *go astern*1 to reverse a vehicle
hamsap, humsu /&1 echerous2 over6sexed
hantam, hentam /41 to thrash or trounce someone physically2 to luff one*s way through
heng /81 thank goodness92 fortunate
jaga /41 a watchman2 to watch over
jelak /41 sated2 ored or tired after having too much or something or someone2 instead of
saying *I jelak of satay already*, we should say *I*ve had too much satay already*
jia lat, chia lat /81 very demanding or stressful
kachau, kacau /41 to annoy or tease2 instead of *=on*t kachau 4ei*, we should say *=on*t tease 4ei*
kaki /41 a memer of a cli+ue or select group
kancheong /&1 over6anxious2 nervous
kaypoh /81 usyody2 nosey2 to interfere2 to stick one*s nose into another*s affairs
kayu /41 thick or stupid2 incompetent2 instead of *This referee kayu man9*, we should say
*This referee is totally incompetent9*
kelong /41 to fix a /footall1 match
kena /41 to e adly treated2 to undergo an unpleasant experience2 instead of *<ou will kena
from =ad if you fail*, we should say *<ou will really get it from =ad if you fail*
ketok, ketuk /41 to take advantage of
kiasi /81 overly cautious
kiasu /81 afraid to lose out2 wanting to keep up with the 0ones*s
kosong /41 empty2 Eero2 nothing
koyak /41 poor +uality2 instead of *-ll the oys in my office are koyak*, we should say, *-ll the
oys in my office are lousy*
laku /41 popular2 in high demand
lauyah /81 shay2 poor +uality
lawar /41 too ig for one*s oots2 too full of oneself
lecheh, leceh /41 troulesome2 tedious
lelong /41 an informal auction2 a sale
loang /41 an opening for a jo, etc.2 an opportunity2 instead of *#ot any loang:* we should
say, *8ave you got any openings for me:*
makan /41 to eat2 food2 a meal
oiang not in good fashion taste2 out of fashion
pai seh /81 emarrassed2 emarrassing2 not in good form
pakat /41 to plot or co6operate secretly2 instead of *=on*t pakat against me9*, we should say
*=on*t plot against me9*
pantang /41 superstitious2 superstition
pondan /41 a transvestite2 effeminate
ponteng /41 to play truant2 to cut classes
potong jalan /41 to take advantage of a situation unfairly2 instead of *8e potong jalan my girlfriend*,
we should say *8e very unfairly snatched my girlfriend away from me9*
rojak /41 sustandard or disorganised2 a mixed collection or a hotchpotch
rugi /41 to lose financially2 a loss
sao to saotage2 to play a trick on someody
salah /41 wrong
samseng /&1 a hooligan2 a ruffian2 a gangster
sayang /41 a person you love or feel affectionate towards2 to love2 wasteful or pitiful2 instead
of *So sayang to throw away the half6 finished 4ilo tin*, we should say *!hat a
shame to throw away the half6finished 4ilo tin*
seok, siuk /41 nosey, to e a usyody
shiok enjoyale
sian /81 tiresome2 oring
siong /81 very tough6going
skali, sekali /41 lest2 suddenly
suaku, swaku /81 ackward and unsophisticated
tahan /41 to endure2 instead of *&annot tahan this nagging*, we should say *I cannot take this
nagging*
taroh, taruh /41 to criticise someone
tarpau, tarpow /&1 to do a take6away2 instead of *I want mee siam, tarpau*, we should say *I want
mee siam, to take away*
teralek, teralik /41 reversed or upside down
terok, teruk /41 terrile2 difficult2 demanding
tompang, tumpang /41 to give someone a lift /in a car12 to leave something in someone else*s care2
instead of *I tompang my shopping in your flat first*, we should say *I*ll leave my
shopping in your flat first*
towkay /81 a successful usinessman
ulu /41 remote2 rural2 ackward and unsophisticated
wayang /41 a street opera2 a &hinese opera
yaya /41 a show6off2 to show off
Eap to photocopy