Linguistic Grammar of Singapore English

The grammar of Singapore English is based on British English, and it is also deeply influenced by Asian languages such as Chinese and Malay. Therefore, the grammar of Singapore English is very different from British English and American English, and more similar to Asian languages. However, because the English used by Singapore's officials, education and media is standard English based on British and American English, Singaporeans generally try to avoid using the syntax of Singapore English in formal occasions and use British and American English instead. Similar to Chinese and Japanese, Singapore English attaches great importance to topic language. The so-called topic language is the known part of the sentence and defines the meaning category of the sentence. Both China English and Singapore English tend to put subject words at the beginning of sentences. For example, the key words in the following example are:

The weather in this country is very hot. The weather in this country is very hot. (The topic language is location)

So many people came yesterday! There were so many people yesterday! (The topic is time)

He plays football very well. -He is good at playing football. (topic language is scope)

That man can't be trusted. -That man over there is not trustworthy. (Topic language is the object)

Although the above topic words have different functions in sentences, the sentence patterns are exactly the same. In British English and American English, topic language does not have this special status, and the sentence patterns used are different:

It's very hot in this country. It's very hot in this country. (add prepositions)

There were so many people yesterday! There were so many people yesterday! (pause)

As for playing football, he plays it very well. He is good at playing football. (now participle plus preposition)

The man there can't be trusted. That man over there can't be trusted. The passive voice requires the object as the subject. )

Like Chinese, topic words in Singapore English can be omitted, but not in British English and American English:

Not so good. -(This) is not good.

I don't want to go at all. -(You) can't go like this.

Why has it never appeared? Why didn't (he) come?

I like badminton, which is why I play it every week. I like badminton, so I play it every weekend.

He felt sick, so he decided to stay at home and sleep. He felt sick, so he decided to stay at home and sleep. Influenced by Chinese, nouns need neither plural suffixes nor articles:

He can play the piano. -He can play the piano.

I like reading story books. I like reading story books.

Your computer is infected with virus number one, isn't it? Does your computer have a virus?

When there are other adjectives (such as several, two, etc. ) In a sentence, a plural suffix is usually added:

He got a bad apple. -He has some apples.

Verb "yes"

The usage of English adverbs very, so and not instead of to be and not to be in Singapore is similar to that in Chinese:

This house is very beautiful. -It's a beautiful house.

You are so stupid! You are so stupid!

That car is not worth the money. -That car isn't worth it.

-ing can be an independent progressive without being added, which is equivalent to "you" and "Bei" in Chinese;

Why are you still playing music so late, ar? Why is the music still playing so late?

You want to make trouble, don't you? Are you looking for trouble?

Omit other uses of to be, such as adding prepositions directly:

He's at Omocho's house. -His home is in Hongmao Bridge.

Generally speaking, to be is omitted after nouns and personal pronouns (except me, him and her) and retained after clauses or demonstrative pronouns (this and that). Irregular verbs and verbs ending in t and d generally add past tense:

I went to Orchard Road yesterday. I went to Orchard Road yesterday.

He finally accepted it. He finally accepted it.

Regular verbs ending in other consonants generally do not add past tense:

He talked for so long that I didn't even stop him. -He talked for so long that I even told him to stop.

If the action indicated by the verb is continuous, the past tense is generally not added:

When I was young, I went to school every day. When I was young, I went to school every day.

When he was at school, he always got good grades. -He always got good grades at school.

I drank too much last night and was already drunk. I was bored to death after reviewing for so long last night.

Singapore English can express the change of state with the auxiliary word has or (the latter is pronounced in a low-key way, which is equivalent to the meaning of "material" in Minnan, that is, "exhausted"), but it cannot express the continuous or repeated state, which is basically the same as the auxiliary words "le" and "guo" at the end of Chinese sentences:

He threw it to Liao. -He threw it away.

Oh, I can't wait any longer. It's Eddie who has to go. -Oh, I can't wait any longer. I have to go!

I ate Liao. -I ate.

They went to Eddie's yesterday. They went there yesterday.

Do you play Liao in this new game? Have you played this new game?

Ah, Sonknasai Auredi, what's the matter? Asun is in trouble. What shall we do? Negative sentences are consistent with British and American English, that is, not is added after auxiliary verbs and don (or other forms) is added before other verbs.

The /t/ in don't is usually not pronounced because of the falling off of the compound rhyme, /n/ even falls off after the nasal sound /o/ that causes the rhyme, and finally the nasal sound /o/ becomes the symbol of the negative sentence:

I am willing to (/d? /) Yes. -I don't want it. (If you don't hear /o/ clearly, it's easy to hear: "Of course I do!" " )

Similarly, because the end of /t/ falls off, the difference between the positive form and the negative form of can is entirely in vowels:

May I? Do it. -I can do it.

I can't do this. -I won't do it.

Never means "never" in British and American English, but it has a special usage in Singapore English, which is the same as "nothing" in Chinese (that is, complete negation):

Why do you never hand in your homework today? Why didn't you hand in your homework today?

Why does he never pay? Why didn't he pay?

interrogative sentence

In addition to the interrogative forms in British English and American English in which the subject and verb are reversed, Singapore English has two interrogative forms similar to Chinese:

Or not is equivalent to the interrogative form of "x is not x" in Chinese verbs, but it must be added at the end of the sentence and cannot be used in negative sentences:

Do you want this book? Do you want this book?

Yes or no? Is it okay?

Do you want to see a movie? Do you want to see a movie?

"Really?" A: Really? ) Unlike British and American English, it can be added to any sentence to express doubts, regardless of the verbs in the sentence. Mainly means that the speaker thinks the answer is yes, just want to make sure:

They never study, do they? They don't study, do they? No wonder I failed.

You don't like that, do you? You don't like it, do you? (No wonder you make faces)

Alamac, you never read newspapers, do you? God, you never read newspapers, do you? No wonder you are so ignorant! )

In addition, there are many modal particles in Singapore English that can express or strengthen doubts, such as hah, hor, meh, ar and so on. , which is introduced in detail in the section of "auxiliary words". Another usage that is very similar to Chinese and Malay is verb repetition. Singapore English is dominated by repetitive verbs, and its usage is different from that of Putonghua. In Singapore English, verb repetition twice means short-term attempt and three times means long-term repetition:

Think about it, maybe you will get the answer. If you think about it, you may have the answer.

So what I did was, I sat down, I thought about it, and I never got an answer. I sat down and thought about it, and finally I got the answer.

Nouns can also be repeated, indicating intimacy, and repeated nouns must refer to people and be monosyllabic, just like Chinese:

My little boy is ready for the first grade of primary school. -My son is in Grade One.

Monosyllabic or disyllabic adjectives can also be used repeatedly to show the deepening of the degree, which is quite similar to Chinese:

You get the small one. -You take the small one.

Kena

But that is a unique passive voice auxiliary word in Singapore English, which can be used to replace the passive voice composed of to be or to get in English. Kena can only be used to indicate actions that are harmful to the subject:

He was weighed. He was weighed. = He Kena scaled。 = He Kena scaled。 He was scolded.

But can't say:

He Kena praised. -He was praised.

one

When One is used as an auxiliary word, it is far from the one (1) in British and American English. One in Singapore English is equivalent to the modal particle "de" in southern Chinese (that is, "e" in Cantonese and "e" in Minnan). ), generally indicating the long-term continuation of the situation, emphasizing. The word "de" here has a strong pronunciation, which is different from the usage of "de" in Mandarin:

Vasco Var?o! Such a stupid one! Wow! How stupid!

I do everything out of habit. -I do everything out of habit.

He has never been to school. -He never goes to school. Teton auxiliary words and mood auxiliary words in Singapore English are basically similar to those in British and American English, but they are very similar to those in Chinese, and many of them are directly borrowed from Minnan dialect or Cantonese.

The tones of Teton modal particles and modal particles in Singapore English are very fixed and cannot be changed, which are similar to those in Chinese:

Gao Pingtiao or low tone.

Lah, as an auxiliary word, is very common and can be added at the end of almost any sentence (except interrogative sentences). Lah not only has the function of emphasis, but also can increase the intimacy between the speaker and the listener. "lah" is used in imperative sentences in Malay (for example, "drink water" is in Malay, but when asking others to "drink water!" When, it becomes "minumlah"). In Singapore English, lah also has this usage:

Drink, pull! Drink it! (Cantonese: Drink! )

Lah can also be used to express a comforting tone:

Don't worry, he can pull. -Don't worry, he can do it.

It doesn't matter. -It's okay.

But Lah is also used for impatient and negative answers, such as:

No more! Don't! (Cantonese: No! )

You don't know one, pull! I don't think you have any ideas! (Cantonese: You don't know! )

what

Low level tone

The tone used to remind or refute usually indicates that this sentence is the condition of another conclusion. It has nothing to do with what in British English and American English, and its meaning is beyond doubt:

But he is good at sports, which is why he plays football so well. He is good at sports, so he plays the ball so well.

You never gave me anything! But you didn't give it to me! (Otherwise, wouldn't I have received it? )

horse

Gao Pingtiao

Used to express the content of the sentence is obvious, similar to the Chinese word "horse" overuse will have disrespectful meaning:

But he is very good at sports, which is why he can play football! He is good at sports, so he plays the ball so well!

begad

Gao Pingtiao

Equivalent to the Chinese word "Luo", used to emphasize a certain state of affairs, but also with the tone of "things should be like this and cannot be changed":

If you don't do this job, then you're dead! If you don't work, you're dead! (slightly naughty tone)

Liecheng

Gao Pingtiao

Equivalent to "lie" in Minnan language, used to ease the strong tone in imperative sentences and interrogative sentences:

Give me leh! Give it to me!

Why don't you give me leh? Why don't you give it to me? (Minnan: Why don't you love me? )

Tixare's serious ex-leh. -Tickets are really expensive.

Hall

Uprising and nasalization

Equivalent to "Hu" in Minnan language, as an auxiliary word in Teton language:

Then, another man came out of the house. Then, another man came out of the room.

As a modal particle, it means asking for the consent of the other party:

This shopping center is also very good. This shopping center is also good, isn't it? (Minnan: Is this shopping center really good? )

argon

A rising tone/tone

It is equivalent to "one" in Minnan dialect and can be used as an auxiliary word in Teton language. Generally cannot be combined with affirmative sentences:

This boy is always so naughty! This boy is always so naughty!

It can also be used as mood auxiliary words to aggravate the tone of interrogative sentences:

How can it be like that, ar? How did that happen? (Minnan: Why is it safe? )

bend

A rising tone/tone

To express doubt or doubt:

Ha! Did he really not go to class yesterday? -Huh? Did he really skip class yesterday?

Har？ How can it be like that? End Kenner's flogging! -Huh? How did he do it, and then he was whipped?

oh

Gao Pingtiao

Equivalent to "baa" in Cantonese and similar to "mo" in Mandarin, used to express doubts in a surprised tone:

Do they never learn from me? Don't they study? (Cantonese: Do you know anything about the wild? )

Don't you like that? Don't you like it? (Cantonese: Don't you like it? ) Got means "you" in Chinese, which is equivalent to two sets of phrases in British and American English: one set is have/has and (have/has) got, and the other set is there/are, which means existence. Singapore English is the same as Chinese, and there is no difference:

Is there anyone here? Is anybody there? (Anglo-American: Is anyone here? )

Anything else? Anything else? (Anglo-American: Anything else? )

Can means "can" and "can" in Chinese. Like Chinese, can be used as a separate sentence. In British English and American English, can can only be used as an auxiliary verb;

Go home, okay? Go home, okay?

Sure！ All right!

Can't! Don't!

Liddat (Like that) literally translates as "like that", and Singapore English is often used directly at the end of sentences to enhance the clarity of description:

He is so stupid. -He's really stupid.

He acts like a child. -He's really like a child.

You don't have to be an auxiliary to like that. Like that means "like that" in British English and American English, and it can also be used in Singapore English:

Why did he kill himself? Why would he do that?

Simple liddat. That's it (simple).

In British English and American English, the meaning of "also" must be put in the sentence, and the meaning of "too" must be put at the end of the sentence. In Singapore English, also (pronounced oso) can be placed in a sentence or at the end of a sentence:

I like this one too. A: I like this, too. )

I like this, too. A: I like this, too. )-I like this too.

In indirect questions, British and American English put verbs after the subject, which is different from direct questions, while Singapore English puts verbs before the subject, which is consistent with direct questions:

"Excuse me, do you know where the shopping center is?" Excuse me, do you know where the shopping center is? In British English and American English, it means "Excuse me, do you know where the shopping center is?"

English words with different meanings in Singapore English

Fuzzy-stupid

talk nonsense

Don't be silly, pull! ("Don't talk nonsense!" )

Keep-(put things away)

Please keep your notes ("Please put your notes away." )

Send someone to a place

I'll take you to the airport. ("I'll take you to the airport." )

Spoil-break (verb) or have break (noun or adjective)

Well, it's spoiled. ("This is broken." )

Live somewhere

She lives in Omocho. ("She lives in Hongmao Bridge." )

Upgrade-improve and become better.

The service has been upgraded. ("The service has improved." )

Other common expressions:

Ice water-ice water (water with ice cubes)

Boiled water (water without ice)

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