10 English Words with a Slightly Different Meaning in Singapore

[@chihinchan5320]

This is massively helpful for a Singaporean living in the UK. Thank you and I'm looking forward to more!

[@Angmohdan]

Thanks for the positive comment 😃 More coming 🤘

[@rap3208]

About "off", we don't necessarily use the whole "day off" in the US, at least where I work. We would ask our co-workers, "Hey, are you off tomorrow?" and it would be perfectly understood.

[@cfyong1838]

No I m not off tomorrow. I m still on😂😂😂😂😂

[@lydiat5819]

"off tmr" is also used in Singapore

[@Blitzcreeper239]

Despite having a pretty good codeswitch between Singlish and proper English(for academic use and for western English speakers and learners) I had no idea "follow" and "help" would have been weird to Western native English speakers lmao, this was a great video! 3:54 your tones were pretty good throughout the video, but bang1 wo2 mai3(correct, and as subtitled) was read as bang3 wo3 mai2(your voice) instead. ke2(as subtitled) could have had a little more rise in tone: my pitch monitor shows my voice go from A2# to D3# when I read ke2 so maybe elevate your tone by about 2 to 3 notes. Just thought maybe this feedback would have been useful for you.

[@Angmohdan]

Great feedback. I need a pitch monitor. Is that an app ?

[@Blitzcreeper239]

@@Angmohdan It's just a mobile app, there could be multiple but it's usually for people who are into music, like to tune instruments or to sing on key. But with regards to learning Chinese, I think observing pitch changes down to that level of surgical accuracy may be beneficial. I'm a native speaker so it's just a wild guess that it may help those that didn't grow up speaking tonal languages.

[@Blitzcreeper239]

In 收起你的书, your tones were pretty respectable, but qi3 should be changed to qi2 because of ni3 following after. 收起你的书 didn't quite click with what I'm used to using, I(and school teachers I suppose) would tend to say 把你的书收起来. If I were to stick to verb-object structure I think 起 gets omitted to become 收你的书 but this sounds a little improper, kind of feels like a Singaporean/Malaysian broken Mandarin, 快收你的书 to like hastily rush a schoolkid to pack up sounds a little less broken but still very local - mainland Chinese may find it odd but it checks out here!

[@PalmuserSavage]

Very enlightening lessons on English language!

[@adnonymous8]

Learnt ‘Off day’ , ‘send you home’ - glad to know the difference 😅

[@Bella-wp7wz]

More videos with your wife please!! It’s interesting to see the interactions. I laughed so hard at ‘My phone is spoilt.. smells okay’ 😂😂 Also she nailed the facial expressions

[@cuttingtrigger]

Wow, thank you very much. Very enlightening to know that simple words we use daily, are actually having another meaning. Like follow is pretty straight forward but actually it means follow behind. Really appreciate it. Give us more!!!

[@jitsam2912]

OMG Im a Singaporean and I have travelled to US n UK and never gave thought to the word "help" or "keep" being diff...

[@AdrianNgHK]

Very good. I wasn't even aware although I had studied in US and UK.

[@Lorn]

Dont be discouraged by the crazies in the comments! I loved this video excellent explanations on the differences between standard english and singlish. Some of this points never occurred to me lol😅 no wonder why my work visit in america 10 years ago i had weird looks given to me even though i thought I wasnt speaking singlish.

[@EdricHsu]

A great video to show my foreigner friends before they visit Singapore. And so funny to see Bevlyn’s cameo playing the unimpressed Singaporean. LOL

[@Angmohdan]

She’s great, right? 😂

[@crosbyong]

Bravo! Something many missed about Singlish. Most of the idiosyncrasies of Singlish is largely Singaporeans speaking in English but being subconsciously influenced by their native dialects (and these could be one of the many Chinese dialects, Malay or Tamil). So it’s not really about us being “efficient” in our English language speaking. LOL

[@Angmohdan]

Thanks!

[@neutroyaz]

That's because the examples given are 'standard Singlish' ... lol if efficient Singlish, it's "Can help me post this letter?" or "Can help buy drink for me?"

[@leapdrive]

And yet Singaporeans claim they speak better English than Filipinos. That kind of English level will not allow you to pass 4th or 5th grade in the Philippines. Truth be told, all the English/American translation the video speaker made was exactly how Filipinos would say and understand it, albeit many would speak it in a slower pace (and depending on the school training as well) just because they have not developed the everyday skill of conversational English. However, when they migrate to an English speaking country, their English picks up rapidly to a higher skill level. So, no! There is no way Singaporeans are better English speakers than Filipinos. Singlish is not the same meaning as Taglish (Philippine Tagalog-English). Singlish is just English words directly translated from their languages despite the wrong usage in English and combined with their local language. Taglish are English words or phrases or sentences combined with Tagalog sentences, phrases or words, but both correctly spoken and with accurate meanings. That’s a major difference. Korlish and Chinlish are just using one word of English spoken in local language. These seem to be a forced addition rather than habitual one just so one can claim they’re speaking in Korlish or Chinlish.

[@aqwevony3275]

​@@leapdrivelol. Filipinos speaks as badly as indons.

[@cfyong1838]

How about these words ‘don’t play play’ ‘fly here fly there’ ‘eat already’ ‘no go’ ‘oil fried devil - you need to figure this out 😅😅😅😅 - related to snack’

[@dawnho7744]

There are many more English words that are 'mis-used' in SIngapore. Haha. That's why foreigners all have a difficult time trying to decipher the English we say. Thumbs up for this video!

[@Angmohdan]

Thanks for the comment. Part 2 is up :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/h6LHpoGZpb-daNE

[@matthewong1953]

Like "turn on the lights" or "what time now?"

[@lydiat5819]

Great video 👏👏👏👍👍👍 "Keep" is a surprise to me. I think I learnt that word from teachers saying, "Keep your books now." meaning to put away the books.

[@gssm27]

'Can you help me buy' is more of a favor..whereas 'can you buy for me' is entirely different meaning as you are expecting it as a 'gift' which means the person helping you buy might not get his money back..so in order not to mistaken a favor as gift..I would rather say 'can you help me to buy'. Actually using the word 'help' sounds more polite, less demanding/ordering than without the word help.

[@Angmohdan]

Good point. Maybe I should have used a different example. “Help me turn off the fan” for instance

[@anders4u222]

On the light.. on the TV.. can or not.. send me to the station.. go stan with the car.. chope the seat.. anyhow.. So used to these sayings now that I've started to use them myself. Fewer words in a sentence, easier to say. Yes, my wife is also Singaporean:-)

[@Angmohdan]

Excellent!

[@pamanton]

Absolutely enjoyed the video! I learned the hard way ... I was born & bred in Singapore, and married to an Australian. But still found the video very funny! 😀

[@juznikon]

Great content. Can you do a video to teach us what’s the correct word to use e.g., “Have taken your lunch” should be “Have you had your lunch”

[@lizatan7717]

Wow … eye opener! Also our use of torchlight drew a lot of raised eyebrows when I was in the US. And the word theatre .. which in the UK medical world it refers to operating theatre but in the US, it means theatre where performances are seen.

[@Angmohdan]

These are good ones too!

[@Youdunnome-zc8dd]

Got one old english educated cleaner at amoy food centre eavesdrop when we eating that time, then suddenly come scold us "you live in xxxx" not "stay"!!!! We all tio stun sia. I sec school that time got ppl play basketball self injure then say "my leg spoil!". I at Simei escalator heard the school girl from changkat sec tell her friend she "hit until her head"!!! As demonstrated in the examples above (all true anecdotes btw), Singlish is a completely different language. It's hard to properly master English for those who grew up steeped in it. I felt so inadequate when I went to Australia for a few years to study about a decade ago (especially when it came to speaking). This was despite me consistently scoring well for English in Singapore. On the plus side, I learnt to speak a lot better after a few years there, all while keeping my Singaporean accent.

[@awclow]

Years ago while working in a French company in Singapore, I asked a french colleague after the lunch break if he has eaten his lunch and his answer was "that's none of your business!" Haha.. It's really cultural difference, I suppose. Think "how are you doing?" which was what I meant would have gone down better with him..

[@Angmohdan]

That was quite a curt response from your colleague. 😟

[@tongfattho6913]

Oh no. I thought I had been able to code-switch seamlessly between Singlish and standard English until I saw this video. Looks like I am stuck in Singlish. The only way out is to make Singlish mainstream. But how? Singapore needs to conquer the world. PCK? S-pop? Hmmm, have to wait long long.

[@edwardchan3560]

Angmo sibeh lou sor, just to the point lah, kanOnot

[@Angmohdan]

Tio, jin loh-soh 😀

[@kyril98741]

People usually use follow when they are bringing someone to a new place as you might get lost if you don't follow that guiding person.

[@johnlay3040]

That's a good program. In the Indonesian language, there is a similar problem too. For example in Indonesian the words "if" (jika) and "when" (bila) are quite often used interchangeably during a conversation. Once I said to my prospective Australian son-in-law: " If I see you again......bla, bla, bla, and then he said: "If"?, why "if", is there a problem? and I said, no, no problem. Why did you say "if", then? No, I mean "when". Then later, I realized it was a sloppy translation of my Indonesian speaking habit.

[@Angmohdan]

Thanks for this insight. It's very interesting to understand this especially as a teacher.

[@cfyong1838]

Quite common to use it that way (if) rather than should. Well we are unique. How about ‘fly here fly there?’ (Influence from Chinese dialect), ‘you want to die? ‘ ‘don’t play play’

[@jilllim5822]

Wow I am not aware of these mistakes I have been making!

[@jaswantsingh9287]

Very interesting video. Never new we locals were corrupting usage of English words and getting away with it.

[@teepiaukennethwong7829]

"Blur" is derived from Army lingo,eg. a Platoon Sergeant shouting at his recruits who seemed lost...: " Hey you,recruits! Don't be blur like sotong!" "Sotong" is a Malay word for squid,as squids tend to give out black ink,when they are frightened,that causes the water to be blurred! Very interesting video! How about, GO FLY A KITE! To ask someone to "go fly a kite" is a polite way of telling someone to go away! We learnt from the older generation of Brits during colonial times...cultured Britons! So,please go fly a kite,will you?😂

[@Angmohdan]

Thanks for the info! We'll have to do an army lingo version. Plus another video that includes 'Go fly a kite' . Part 2 is up: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h6LHpoGZpb-daNE

[@andrewpatterson2245]

"Go fly a kite" is not really Singlish - it's used in the US too.

[@teepiaukennethwong7829]

@@andrewpatterson2245 We are talking about English words having different meaning in Singapore,not Singlish...mind you! Read the title-headings!

[@andrewpatterson2245]

Ya lor...that's why I say "fetch" and "already" leh... @@teepiaukennethwong7829

[@anwaarmohd6498]

Yes, sotong comes from army sub-culture. When I was doing NS, I read a instructions guide book which contained some code words. For example, sun-ray means Platoon commander and interestingly, sotong refers to the squad leader. So, maybe that was the origin. Blur doesn't mean blur in sight, but blur (unclear, confused) in thoughts. the army vulgarity term 'blur cock' may be translated as 'stupid dickhead'.

[@kidsauthordave1463]

Brilliant!

[@danielch6662]

All 10 words mean exactly the same thing in Malaysia. I doubt they all come from Mandarin though. About 60 - 70 years ago, before the push for Mandarin, most of the Chinese did not speak Mandarin, except for the people who went to Chinese (Mandarin) schools, in which case they usually don't speak English very well. Most of the ethnic Chinese speak a different dialect. They aren't native Mandarin speakers. And all these words, when translated into a dialect (or even Malay), the same explanation works.

[@Angmohdan]

Thanks for the insight. I think you are correct, there have been multiple influences in the usage.

[@matthewong1953]

My american boss once heard me switch from english proper to singlish with a local coworker and he was puzzled...he asked me "what did i just say to my coworker?" I was confused and asked him what did he mean? He said it was something about time but he couldn't understand what i had said. I had asked a coworker, "what time now?" I laughed and explained it was singlish abrreviating an otherwise longer way to ask "what is the time, now?" Hahaha

[@Angmohdan]

Classic! Phrases could be the video

[@GGgoldspear]

​@@Angmohdansome Singlish variations are due to Hokkien, a popular dialect used up to the 1970's. Even now some locals speak Hokkien or Mandarin mixed with Hokkien words...as a Non Chinese I remember in my childhood years songs from radio and conversations overheard in public places were always in Malay or Hokkien..and Mandarin was not common. During National service we hear a lot of indirect references used in conversations and some of it were deliberate to either make fun of a situation or just to be friendly. I remember a phrase "eat snake" ...a phrase that shocked me but is possibly a direct translation of an idiomatic expression in hokkien that some one is pretending to work or look busy!😅

[@jackcsk]

One more: the interchangeable usage of “double check”(confirm) vs “double confirm”

[@Angmohdan]

Yes! That one good 👍

[@app-cb3bl]

Correct me if I am wrong - it shouldn't be "double confirm" but "reconfirm", right? I heard it every time.

[@Sgscouser]

Singaporeans also butchered the word "do". Once i overheard a conversation that goes " I do u this time, next time you do me". What she means is "I do this favor for you this time round".

[@whiz16]

this one very common from american tv lolx. maybe copy from there

[@princessmad2792]

Hmm.. Learnt a lot.. THANKS... 😅😂😊

[@lydiat5819]

In your future session, please include the Asian way of replying Yes or No to questions asked in the negative. It was a huge frustration and the native speakers would look down on us by saying "they cannot decide" when we had to switch answer upon realizing you got it wrong. It is a culture thing and not just Singaporean. We are beginning to realize though but there are still many who are not aware and esp the native speakers. Hope you understand what I am talking about - we say Yes to everything that we AGREE. So if you ask in the negative ... the result is opposite 😢

[@velfarre]

this. it's also got to do with how we phrase our questions. for example we almost nv say "are you not gonna finish your food?" that leaves it culturally open-ended when you do the yeah,no /nah,yeah thing. it's usually "you finishing that food?" to which the reply is a definite y/n.

[@AjoraJade]

I stay in Tampines for the past 35 years 😅😅

[@battle66]

I can make at least 100 episodes on Singlish alone…. 😂😂😂😂 Love it.

[@lightyagami1752]

A more subtle one is our use of parking lot to denote a single space.

[@avtarsingh8948]

Most Singaporeans are not blur. They deliberately "act blur" in most situations. That is the difference, my expatriate friend. Please let your Singaporean wife explain that to you.

[@Angmohdan]

Noted, I’ll ask my wife later. You say most people acting blur only. I think I understand ;/

[@whiz16]

follow means , the person will lead u or let him lead u . it is not really accompanying cos that person might not really know u enough, to want to be considered to be in the same grp as u. if they are your friends or really polite, then they will say lets go (together) and they wont say follow me.

[@SundayBoy72]

You got a subscriber … 😋

[@clarie91s]

I remember in one of the Mr. Kiasu comics there was a scene in which one of Mr. Kiasu’s co-workers said to him: “Don’t act blur lah”

[@cheekinchan7597]

Food is important to the Chinese. Perhaps they don’t have enough food back in the days in China. 😅 Which explains why when one meets a Chinese, one will ask if the other person has eaten. It's only polite to greet a Chinese by asking if he/she has eaten. It's a cultural thing. I'll ask the same question regardless of their race 😊

[@sportsonwheelss]

they have been saying that for millenium, prior to the famine period. It has nothing to do with not having enough food.

[@rap3208]

Asking somebidy you meet if they have eaten is probably prevalent in most of Asia. In the Philippines, that is a common thing.

[@mahe9392]

They take their lunch in France too

[@chrono9428]

Wife damn funny. Well done episode!

[@SingingTechniquesINT]

Thank you! 🙏😊

[@david888a]

Lol at the wife’s expression at “huh”…

[@Joo-vw9kb]

Englishman: All these Americans trying to speak English. American: You talkin' bout my mama? Ain't nobody gonna like it! Mexican: Americano full-o-shiit.

[@hyperseah]

I find British colloquialism even harder to understand. 😅

[@arlanchan5241]

I just found I used ‘help’ a lot unnecessarily in a way to be more polite yet I’m not a Singaporean 😂

[@andrewpatterson2245]

A few more: Fetch: I had never heard this used except in reference to a dog bringing a stick, bone, or ball back, and certainly not used to take somebody somewhere, like "Fetch your kids to school." Already: Often used in place of "yet" and rarely used to indicate something that happened earlier than expected. First: "I go home first" simply means, "I'm going home now" but it does not connote order, as though something else is happening next. Where are you from: This only means, "Where did you just come from?" It's nothing to do with your nationality or origin. These are only the few I thought of while watching the video - of course there are dozens more.

[@Angmohdan]

These are great! Thanks

[@Angmohdan]

Do let me know more as you think of them. I want to do part 3 👍

[@andrewpatterson2245]

can@@Angmohdan

[@alvinseah5423]

Smoke! As in, don't anyhow throw smoke ok!

[@JoeChanTV]

Bevlyn!

[@shirobuta]

very nicely done. Felt it was a bit long though because it was narrated in a monotonous way. Maybe better to shorten to 5 words?

[@janislim0925]

In Australia, I helped a little child with pressing down the sink tap while she washed her hands. After she was done, I asked her, "Can?" On hindsight, she probably had no idea what i was talking about HAHAHA I wanted to ask if everything was alright.

[@FCPCPF]

Ah, dont worry, most of us know how to switch channels. With friends, Singlish is our norm; at official events, we tend to be morw formal in the way we speak, albeit with a Singapore twang. 😅😅😅

[@franklee663]

About "live", the correct phrase should be " My residence is in Tampines" even "I live in tampines is wrong"

[@healthytruth1363]

THANKS IN UNDERSTANDING LOCAL JARGONS OF SINGLISH WORDS......BUT YOU MUST UNDERSTAND SINGLISH IS SPOKEN WITH BROKEN STRUCTURES AND SENTENCES .....DIRECT TO THE POINT WITH NO HOPE IN APOLOGIES AT ALL ❗️❗️❗️ THAT IS HOW AND WHY SPORE SINGLISH IS SO UNIQUE AND NO STIFF UPPER LIPS ABOUT IT ❤❤❤

[@RonLarhz]

Lol... He literally ang moh. Also, the rare times a foreigner understood how the singlish grammar come about. Nowsadays most local kids cant even explain. Smdh. Damn sad. Malay grammar is also incorporated. Maybe next time u can add. Fun fact: we automatically say we live in SG but stay at xxx....

[@Angmohdan]

Thanks. Hope to include everyone’s great suggestions

[@MathewTip]

Singaporeans tend to speak Chinese & Malay in Engreesh

[@sgpublictransport34956]

Ok I didn’t know these few English words had a totally different meaning here in Singapore. And I applaud your effort for trying to speak Chinese. Keep hard the hard work!

[@Angmohdan]

Thanks for the support. The Chinese is challenging 😵‍💫

[@sgpublictransport34956]

Good luck bro.@@Angmohdan

[@SunnySun-w3s]

Very common mistake to tell someone. “ I am going BACK home”

[@rais1953]

Hindi/Urdu speakers use "keep" in the same way. If someone asks you to "keep" something they are not transferring ownership to you. They just want you to put it away.

[@KomengDeBatiste]

I grew up in Singapore and I totally get Singlish like a 3rd language... It's natural for me 😂😂😂

[@kennySg101]

Singlish is spoken by people with little or no English education. Most can code switch when speak to foreigners

[@Angmohdan]

Code switching is the key.

[@kennySg101]

​​@@AngmohdanFrankly, if u speak to the New Yorkers, u need to try to understand them, don't think they will change to suit your style of speaking. At the end of the day, Singaporeans need to be confident and explain only when people don't understand eg. MRT, Metro means the same thing. U just say MRT, u don't say Metro. U can't accommodate the world.

[@franklee663]

Sorry ah, your wife is ah lian?

[@dbwkdidwbsof]

why is "help me buy something" difficult to understand, isnt the act of buying the thing clearly helping

[@Angmohdan]

Just a difference between “do for me” and “assist me”

[@nimuil]

11. Outside. Outside food is not allowed.

[@pengseahang946]

👍❤😂

[@superconnie5003]

Have you heard the Frence speak English?.

[@elainaorlando8400]

Promo sm 😎

[@meilingliu6530]

Tell me more LA la la😂...

[@Zelenskyy9]

So all local English teachers failed miserably in teaching standard English, blame on them

[@angeltan3622]

It’s Singlish not English

[@t.h.1784]

Americans speak people pretty bad English too .

[@kamhertzmartialacademy9832]

yawn

[@leonleon765]

That's why I don't like puah chu kang.

[@leapdrive]

And yet Singaporeans claim they speak better English than Filipinos. That kind of English level will not allow you to pass 4th or 5th grade in the Philippines. Truth be told, all the English/American translation the video speaker made was exactly how Filipinos would say and understand it, albeit many would speak it in a slower pace (and depending on the school training as well) just because they have not developed the everyday skill of conversational English. However, when they migrate to an English speaking country, their English picks up rapidly to a higher skill level. So, no! There is no way Singaporeans are better English speakers than Filipinos. Singlish is not the same meaning as Taglish (Philippine Tagalog-English). Singlish is just English words directly translated from their languages despite the wrong usage in English and combined with their local language. Taglish are English words or phrases or sentences combined with Tagalog sentences, phrases or words, but both correctly spoken and with accurate meanings. That’s a major difference. Korlish and Chinlish are just using one word of English spoken in local language. These seem to be a forced addition rather than habitual one just so one can claim they’re speaking in Korlish or Chinlish.

[@hana_yori_dango]

Did this video make any claims about Singaporeans speaking better English than Filipinos? I must have missed that. Of course, everyone knows Filipinos are the best English speakers. We all bow down to your superior language skills.

[@leapdrive]

@@hana_yori_dango , it’s all over the English Speaking countries’ ranking system. Furthermore, you don’t have to use reverse psychology with me. That claim would not have come to fruition unless Singapore insisted on it.

[@Be.fair.to.all.people_]

Angmo is so condescending. Go back lah

[@Democraps_are_narrow-minded]

Blur in Singapore means muddleheaded