Say What??

So if you know Singapore you'll, of course, know about Singlish. I've lived here a little over five years and although in that time I've come to learn some I don't pretend to know a great deal. But if you are new to Singapore or a tourist here you may find yourself completely in the dark about it.

In case you don't know Singlish is a dialect spoken uniquely in Singapore. The vocabulary consists of words originating from English, Malay, Hokkien, Teochew and Tamil to name just a few. You only need to be in the country a short while to hear it spoken in most day-to-day settings you are likely to find yourself in.

Never fear though if that's you struggling to understand because the PARKROYAL Hotel on Kitchener Road has come up with something that may help just a little. They have taken some of the confusion out of it all by collecting together and sharing on their website a handful of popular and well known Singlish expressions. As you can see from below each expression is colourfully illustrated, an example of how to use it is given and more importantly what it means if you hear it used. You can see this includes such fun expressions as, 'don't play play', 'bo jio' and 'blur like sotong' (a personal favourite of mine) to name just a few. 

So if you are flummoxed by something you've heard on the bus or at the wet market why not check out their helpful page. It might just give you the answer you need and make your time in Singapore (whether it is short or long) all the more enriching.