There are four official languages of Singapore; Mandarin, Malay, Tamil and English. English is the most common language used and is the common language between the different ethnic groups. Children are taught in English at school but also learn their mother tongue to make sure they don’t lose touch with their traditions and culture.

Most Singaporeans speak a localized dialect of English called Singlish or Singaporean English, which can be difficult for foreigners to understand at first. Singlish is based on standard English with influences and loan words from Chinese, Malay and Indian languages. Singapore is a multilingual society, which is why Singlish developed over time. Singlish phrases are most common in the informal aspects of the English language, such as casual conversation. In school, all students learns English and a second language of their choice. Mandarin is the second most popular language, with over 70% of the population speaking it as a first or second language.

Vocabulary Singlish•habis – finished•makan – to eat•chope – to reserve something•cheem – difficult, complicated•ang mo – a white person•rojak – mixed, a mix of•liao – finished, the end•kiasu – afraid to lose mentality

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