Politics
The Singaporean Government considers Singlish a "pidgin" and a "handicap", and in the interest of promoting equality and better communication with the rest of the world has launched the Speak Good English Movement to eradicate it. Use of Singlish on television or radio is banned and schools can fine students caught speaking Singlish.
Most Singaporeans, on the other hand, think "bladi Garmen si peh kaypoh one,
why always so bedek kacang hor?". This sentence can be approximately broken down into:
- "bladi Garmen" - bloody Government
- "si peh" - very (from Hokkien, a Chinese dialect)
- "kaypoh" - busybody (from Hokkien)
- "one" - extraneous modifier
- "why always so" - indication of harbored displeasure
- "bedek kacang" - lit. 'aiming at peanuts' (Malay); in this sentence, can probably be taken to mean 'meddlesome' or 'annoying'
- "hor?" - Chinese prompt for affirmation, somewhat like n'est-ce pas? of French.
Grammar
The ubiquitous word 'lah' is used at the end of a sentence, for emphasis. In Malay it is used to make a verb into a command. To drink is minuman, but 'drink!' is minumlah. Hence a Singaporean would say 'drink, lah!' In common with other non-native forms of English, is it? or isn't it? are generic, like the French n'est-ce pas?:
- They should study hard, isn't it? - They should study hard, shouldn't they?
- You don't like that, is it? - You don't like that, do you?
The order of the verb and the subject can also vary when asking a question.
- "Excuse me, do you know where is the shopping centre? "Excuse me, do you know where the shopping centre is?"
The word one is used with an adjective:
- So stupid one! - He's so stupid!
When asking if you want something, it is common to drop the subject, and end the sentence with or not?
- You want or not? - Do you want it / any / some?