Can Lah: A primer on the languages in Singapore

An emergency exit sign on the MRT features English, Mandarin, Malay, and Tamil translations

Listening to and seeing an unfamiliar language in Singapore is as common as breathing. On the train, in stores, in line, and even in your own home (via the television or radio), it's typical to hear other languages.  In fact, after a while, you notice the transitions and conversations in your non-native tongue(s) less and less. They are just a fact of life here.

Singapore has four official languages - English, Mandarin, Malay, and Tamil - and one local "dialect," Singlish. Basically everyone you meet speaks English. It's the language of business, law, and academia. In school, children study English as a first language from a young age.

They also study what is considered their "mother tongue," which is determined by their father's ethnicity. Chinese Singaporeans make up the largest chunk of the demographic pie. Since China is a huge place with lots of dialects, Singapore's government decided in the  late '70's to unify the Chinese people by encouraging them to all speak Mandarin. Since Mandarin is the "language of the majority," it's no surprise that if a sign is translated into only two languages, it's Mandarin and English. The other three main ethnic groups are Malaysians, Indians, and Eurasians (people with a mix of European and Asian parentage). That's why Malay and Tamil (an Indian dialect) are also spoken.

As for Singlish, the local "dialect," it is ubiquitous and can be a little hard to distinguish from broken English at first. It's base is English, but then there are words and grammatical components from various Chinese dialects mixed in. There's a spattering of Malay and Tamil, too. A few of the most commonly used words and phrases are:

"Uncle" or "Auntie" - a term of respect for older males and females respectively
"Can or not?" - means "Can you do it or not?"
kiasu - someone who is kiasu is highly competitive; whether it's in bargaining or having the best student people who are kiasu "hate to lose"
"Lai dat also can?" - means "Is this okay?"
lah - a particle that is added to the end of many sentences to add emphasis or to soften what is being said
"It's spoiled." - means "It's broken or it's not working properly."

As if all of this spoken language isn't enough to confuse, Singapore's culture is a high-context culture, where a lot of the communication is indirect and non-verbal. And you thought moving to an "English-speaking" country meant communication was going to be simple.