Hokkien influence on Singaporean Mandarin
Encyclopedia
Singaporean Hokkien
is the largest Non-Mandarin Chinese dialect spoken in Singapore. As such, it exerts the greatest influence on Colloquial Singaporean Mandarin, resulting in a Hokkien-style Singaporean Mandarin widely spoken in Singapore. The colloquial Hokkien-style Singaporean Mandarin can differ from Mandarin
in terms of vocabulary, phonology and grammar.
due to influences from their Hokkien
mother tongue. These include consonant
s such as f, z, zh, s, r. They also pronounce some vowel
s and rhymes such as i, e, en, eng differently. In terms of tone, they often bring the checked tone (入声) of Hokkien into Mandarin.
of certain Mandarin words was omitted in colloquial Singaporean Mandarin due to the use of Hokkien mono-syllabic words. For instance, the suffix " zi" was commonly omitted in colloquial Singaporean Mandarin.
in Mandarin is removed from a two-syllable word, leaving a one-syllable word of Hokkien of the same meaning.
in predicate
structure should be put after a complement
, but Singaporean Mandarin has changed to a "verb
/object
+ complement
" structure.
Examples are shown in the table below:
Examples are shown in the table below:
Examples are shown in the table below:
Examples are shown in the table below:
and a complement
has been omitted in colloquial Singaporean Mandarin due to Hokkien influence.
Examples are shown in the table below:
Examples are shown in the table below:
verbs. But due to influence from Hokkien, colloquial Singaporean Mandarin uses them as complementary
verbs.
Examples are shown in the table below:
+complement
" sentence structure, the verb should not be used with word ""到" in Mandarin. Instead, it should be used with the word "得". But due to influence from Hokkien, it has been brought into Singaporean Mandarin.
Examples are shown in the table below:
Examples are shown in the table below:
Examples are shown in the table below:
or verb
predicate
to indicate an existing action or completed status. This is influenced by Singaporean Hokkien.
Singaporean Hokkien
Singaporean Hokkien is a local variant of the Hokkien dialect spoken in Singapore. It is closely related to the Southern Malaysian Hokkien spoken in Southern Malaysia as well as Riau Hokkien spoken in the Indonesian province of Riau...
is the largest Non-Mandarin Chinese dialect spoken in Singapore. As such, it exerts the greatest influence on Colloquial Singaporean Mandarin, resulting in a Hokkien-style Singaporean Mandarin widely spoken in Singapore. The colloquial Hokkien-style Singaporean Mandarin can differ from Mandarin
Standard Chinese
Standard Chinese, or Modern Standard Chinese, also known as Mandarin or Putonghua, is the official language of the People's Republic of China and Republic of China , and is one of the four official languages of Singapore....
in terms of vocabulary, phonology and grammar.
Influences on phonology
Some Hokkien Singaporeans are unable to accurately pronounce the sounds of Standard MandarinStandard Chinese
Standard Chinese, or Modern Standard Chinese, also known as Mandarin or Putonghua, is the official language of the People's Republic of China and Republic of China , and is one of the four official languages of Singapore....
due to influences from their Hokkien
Singaporean Hokkien
Singaporean Hokkien is a local variant of the Hokkien dialect spoken in Singapore. It is closely related to the Southern Malaysian Hokkien spoken in Southern Malaysia as well as Riau Hokkien spoken in the Indonesian province of Riau...
mother tongue. These include consonant
Consonant
In articulatory phonetics, a consonant is a speech sound that is articulated with complete or partial closure of the vocal tract. Examples are , pronounced with the lips; , pronounced with the front of the tongue; , pronounced with the back of the tongue; , pronounced in the throat; and ,...
s such as f, z, zh, s, r. They also pronounce some vowel
Vowel
In phonetics, a vowel is a sound in spoken language, such as English ah! or oh! , pronounced with an open vocal tract so that there is no build-up of air pressure at any point above the glottis. This contrasts with consonants, such as English sh! , where there is a constriction or closure at some...
s and rhymes such as i, e, en, eng differently. In terms of tone, they often bring the checked tone (入声) of Hokkien into Mandarin.
Hokkien-derived vocabulary
The use of Hokkien vocabulary in Singaporean Mandarin can be categorized into 4 different situations:- Use of Hokkien words in lieu of standard Mandarin words
- Use of Hokkien monosyllabic words in lieu of standard disyllabic Mandarin words
- Replacing of Mandarin morphemes with Hokkien morphemes
- Use of Hokkien word order (in vocabulary) in lieu of standard Mandarin word order
- Modifying the meaning of Mandarin word using Hokkien words
Hokkien borrowings
Some Hokkien words with the same meaning are used to replace standard Mandarin words.| Singaporean Mandarin (Hokkien loan words) | Standard Mandarin | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| miàn pén | liǎn pén | Washbasin |
| lóng gōu | shuǐ gōu | Ditch |
| shāo shuǐ | rè shuǐ | Hot water |
| fēng tāi | chē tāi | Tire |
| zhǔ fàn | shāo fàn or zuò fàn | Cooking |
| yī lù lái | xiàng lái or yī zhí | All along |
Monosyllabic borrowings
Some Hokkien mono-syllabic words to replace two-syllable words of Mandarin.Omission of Mandarin word's suffix
The suffixSuffix
In linguistics, a suffix is an affix which is placed after the stem of a word. Common examples are case endings, which indicate the grammatical case of nouns or adjectives, and verb endings, which form the conjugation of verbs...
of certain Mandarin words was omitted in colloquial Singaporean Mandarin due to the use of Hokkien mono-syllabic words. For instance, the suffix " zi" was commonly omitted in colloquial Singaporean Mandarin.
| Colloquial Singaporean Mandarin (Hokkien mono-syllabic word) | Standard Mandarin | Definition | Example of Usage (Singaporean Mandarin) |
|---|---|---|---|
| yā | yā zi | Duck | (I bought a duck) |
| wèi | wèi zi | Seat | (No more seats) |
| qún | qún zi | Skirt | (Your skirt is too long.) |
| lǐng | lǐng zi | Collar | (Your collar is very dirty.) |
| shí | shí tou | Stone | (This stone is very big.) |
Replacing Mandarin morpheme with Hokkien morpheme
A morphemeMorpheme
In linguistics, a morpheme is the smallest semantically meaningful unit in a language. The field of study dedicated to morphemes is called morphology. A morpheme is not identical to a word, and the principal difference between the two is that a morpheme may or may not stand alone, whereas a word,...
in Mandarin is removed from a two-syllable word, leaving a one-syllable word of Hokkien of the same meaning.
| Colloquial Singaporean Mandarin (Hokkien morpheme) | Standard Mandarin | Definition | Example of Usage (Singaporean Mandarin) |
|---|---|---|---|
| sè | yán sè | Colour | (What colour is this cloth?) |
| lì | lì qi or lì liang | Strength | (I have no more strength) |
| gōng | gōng zuò | Work | (go and find a work) |
| míng | míng bai | Understand | (Once you say it, I've understood it) |
| xiāo | tuī xiāo | Sell | (He helps me to sell many books) |
Same meaning, different word order
The parts of some Mandarin words are reversed and changed to that of Hokkien.| Colloquial Singaporean Mandarin (Hokkien word order) | Standard Mandarin | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| miàn xiàn | xiàn miàn | Rice noodle |
| rén kè | kè rén | Guest |
| fàn hé | hé fàn | Small box of meal |
Modifying the meaning of Mandarin using Hokkien words
Certain words in Mandarin adopt a different meaning that they have in Hokkien.| Colloquial Singaporean Mandarin (Hokkien loan word) | Standard Mandarin | Definition | Usage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| féi | pàng | Fat | (You've been fatter recently) | The Mandarin word "肥" originally is not referring to a person who is fat. Proper Mandarin for "fat" should use the word "胖" esp. when referring to a fat person. In fact, the word "肥" has negative connotation. |
| shuǎng | tòng kuai | Happy/Joyful | (play joyfully) | The Mandarin word "爽" originally means "cool". Here it has been modified to mean "happy". |
| huì | néng | Able to | (Is the car able to cross?) | The word "会" originally does not mean an action that can be probably be realized. The normal usage should be "能", which indicates a possibility. |
| běn shì | yǒu běn shì | Capable | (He is capable) | The word "本事" is originally a 'noun' and should not be used as an adjective. |
Influences on grammar
Singaporean Hokkien has influenced Singaporean Mandarin Grammar in 5 main areas.Word order
The word order refers to the order or sequence of how words are arranged in combination. Because of influence from Singaporean Hokkien, the word order in certain phrases are replaced by that of Singaporean Hokkien, or are simultaneously used with that of Singaporean Mandarin."Verb/object + complement" structure
Certain objectObject (grammar)
An object in grammar is part of a sentence, and often part of the predicate. It denotes somebody or something involved in the subject's "performance" of the verb. Basically, it is what or whom the verb is acting upon...
in predicate
Predicate (grammar)
There are two competing notions of the predicate in theories of grammar. Traditional grammar tends to view a predicate as one of two main parts of a sentence, the other being the subject, which the predicate modifies. The other understanding of predicates is inspired from work in predicate calculus...
structure should be put after a complement
Complement (linguistics)
In grammar the term complement is used with different meanings. The primary meaning is a word, phrase or clause that is necessary in a sentence to complete its meaning. We find complements that function as an argument and complements that exist within arguments.Both complements and modifiers add...
, but Singaporean Mandarin has changed to a "verb
Verb
A verb, from the Latin verbum meaning word, is a word that in syntax conveys an action , or a state of being . In the usual description of English, the basic form, with or without the particle to, is the infinitive...
/object
Object (grammar)
An object in grammar is part of a sentence, and often part of the predicate. It denotes somebody or something involved in the subject's "performance" of the verb. Basically, it is what or whom the verb is acting upon...
+ complement
Complement (linguistics)
In grammar the term complement is used with different meanings. The primary meaning is a word, phrase or clause that is necessary in a sentence to complete its meaning. We find complements that function as an argument and complements that exist within arguments.Both complements and modifiers add...
" structure.
Examples are shown in the table below:
| Colloquial Singaporean Mandarin | Standard Mandarin | Translation | Grammar Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| nǐ shàng kè wán zài qù ba | nǐ shàng wán kè zài qù ba | You go only after you've finished lessons! | The object Object (grammar) An object in grammar is part of a sentence, and often part of the predicate. It denotes somebody or something involved in the subject's "performance" of the verb. Basically, it is what or whom the verb is acting upon... "课" is put before the complement Complement (linguistics) In grammar the term complement is used with different meanings. The primary meaning is a word, phrase or clause that is necessary in a sentence to complete its meaning. We find complements that function as an argument and complements that exist within arguments.Both complements and modifiers add... "完", instead of after. |
| kǎo shì wán nǐ zài lái | kǎo wán shì nǐ zài lái | Come only after you've finished the exam! | The object Object (grammar) An object in grammar is part of a sentence, and often part of the predicate. It denotes somebody or something involved in the subject's "performance" of the verb. Basically, it is what or whom the verb is acting upon... "试" is put before the complement Complement (linguistics) In grammar the term complement is used with different meanings. The primary meaning is a word, phrase or clause that is necessary in a sentence to complete its meaning. We find complements that function as an argument and complements that exist within arguments.Both complements and modifiers add... "完", instead of after. |
| nǐ chī fàn le zài xiě hǎo ma | nǐ chī liǎo fàn zài xiě hǎo ma | Can you write after you've finished your meal? | The object Object (grammar) An object in grammar is part of a sentence, and often part of the predicate. It denotes somebody or something involved in the subject's "performance" of the verb. Basically, it is what or whom the verb is acting upon... "饭" is put before the complement Complement (linguistics) In grammar the term complement is used with different meanings. The primary meaning is a word, phrase or clause that is necessary in a sentence to complete its meaning. We find complements that function as an argument and complements that exist within arguments.Both complements and modifiers add... "了", instead of after. |
Changes in overlapping word order
Certain overlapping word orders in Singaporean Mandarin do not conform with that of Standard Mandarin.Examples are shown in the table below:
| Singaporean Mandarin (overlapping words) | Standard Mandarin (overlapping words) | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| xiǎng dōng xiǎng xī | dōng xiǎng xī xiǎng | Anyhow think |
| gǎo qī gǎo bā | qī gǎo bā gǎo | Anyhow mess around |
Overlapping of words
Certain mono-syllabic adjectives and verbs or two-syllable adjectives and verbs in Singaporean Hokkien have entered into Singaporean Mandarin. They are used together with the conventional way of expressing Standard Mandarin in Singaporean Mandarin.Examples are shown in the table below:
| Singaporean Mandarin | Standard Mandarin | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| huā hóng hóng hěn hǎo kàn | huā hóng hóng de hěn hǎo kàn | The flower is reddish and looks great. |
| nǐ shì kàn kan | nǐ shì shì kàn | Just try it. |
| chī kàn kàn la | chī chī kàn la | Just try eating it. |
| bǎ gōng kè zuò wán | bǎ gōng kè dōu zuò wán | Finish all of the homework. |
| zhè xie nǐ chī chī diào hǎo ma | zhè xie nǐ dōu chī diào hǎo ma | Can you finish eating all these? |
| dà jiā dōu zuò hǎo hǎo | dà jiā dōu zuò hǎo hǎo de | Everyone is sitting properly. |
| tā pǎo kuài kuài lái ná dōng xi | tā hěn kuài de pǎo lái ná dōng xi | He run here quickly to take the thing. |
| tā yìng yìng yào qù | tā yìng (shì) yào qù | He insists on going. |
| bù yào luàn luàn xiě | bù yào luàn xiě | Don't anyhow write. |
| nǐ jiǔ jiǔ cái lái yī cì | nǐ hěn jiǔ cái lái yī cì | He came only once after a long time. |
| chī bǎo fàn chū qù sàn bù sàn bù | chī bǎo fàn chū qù sàn sàn bù | Go for a stroll after you've finished your meal. |
| dà jiā jiàn miàn jiàn miàn yī xià yě hǎo | dà jiā jiàn jiàn miàn yě hǎo or dà jiā jiàn yī xià miàn yě hǎo | It's good everyone of us meet for awhile |
Omission
Here, it refers to the fact that certain components of a sentence should not be omitted in Mandarin, but have been omitted in colloquial Singaporean Hokkien. In colloquial Singaporean Mandarin, some Hokkien Singaporeans have brought in the Hokkien-style of omission into Mandarin.Omission of directional verbs
Certain directional verbs should not be omitted, but have been omitted in colloquial Singaporean Mandarin.Examples are shown in the table below:
| Singaporean Mandarin (Hokkien-style omission) | Standard Mandarin | Translation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| chē zǐ tài dà, bù néng jìn | chē zǐ tài dà, bù néng jìn qù | The car is too big, it cannot get in. | The directional verb "去" has been omitted. |
| kǎo shì chéng jī hái méi chū | kǎo shì chéng jī hái méi chū lai | The exam results haven't come out. | The directional verb "来" has been omitted. |
Omission of the word "得"
The word "得" used in the sentence structure between a verbVerb
A verb, from the Latin verbum meaning word, is a word that in syntax conveys an action , or a state of being . In the usual description of English, the basic form, with or without the particle to, is the infinitive...
and a complement
Complement (linguistics)
In grammar the term complement is used with different meanings. The primary meaning is a word, phrase or clause that is necessary in a sentence to complete its meaning. We find complements that function as an argument and complements that exist within arguments.Both complements and modifiers add...
has been omitted in colloquial Singaporean Mandarin due to Hokkien influence.
Examples are shown in the table below:
| Singaporean Mandarin (omission of the word "得") | Standard Mandarin | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| nǐ chī hěn màn | nǐ chī de hěn màn | You eat very slowly. |
| zhè zhǒng shì wǒ jiàn tài duō le | zhè zhǒng shì wǒ jiàn dé tài duō le | I've seen this thing too many times. |
Omission of certain numbers
Certain number which should not be omitted in Mandarin have been omitted in colloquial Singaporean Mandarin. This has also been influenced by Hokkien.Examples are shown in the table below:
| Singaporean Mandarin (omission of certain numbers) | Standard Mandarin | Translation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| kuài bàn | yī kuài wǔ máo | One dollar and five cents (money) | The number "一" (one) has been omitted |
| chǐ èr | yī chǐ èr | 1.2 feet (length) | The number "一" (one) has been omitted |
| bǎi sān | yī bǎi sān shí | One hundred and thirty | The number "一" (one) has been omitted |
| liǎng wàn wǔ yuán | liǎng wàn wǔ qiān yuán | Twenty five thousand dollars | The number "千" (thousand) has been omitted |
Word groupings and arrangements
Certain word groupings and arrangements in colloquial Singaporean Mandarin sentences are greatly influenced by Hokkien.Use of the words "有" and "无"
In Mandarin, the words "有" and "无" generally do not act as complementaryComplement (linguistics)
In grammar the term complement is used with different meanings. The primary meaning is a word, phrase or clause that is necessary in a sentence to complete its meaning. We find complements that function as an argument and complements that exist within arguments.Both complements and modifiers add...
verbs. But due to influence from Hokkien, colloquial Singaporean Mandarin uses them as complementary
Complement (linguistics)
In grammar the term complement is used with different meanings. The primary meaning is a word, phrase or clause that is necessary in a sentence to complete its meaning. We find complements that function as an argument and complements that exist within arguments.Both complements and modifiers add...
verbs.
Examples are shown in the table below:
| Singaporean Mandarin (Hokkien influenced) | Standard Mandarin | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| nǐ tīng yǒu ma? wǒ tīng yǒu. | nǐ tīng dé dǒng ma? wǒ tīng dé dǒng | Do you understand me? |
| tā kàn yǒu wǒ kàn méi yǒu | tā kàn dé jiàn, wǒ kàn bú jiàn | He could see, I cannot see. |
| zhè běn shū wǒ zhǎo yǒu le | zhè běn shū wǒ zhǎo dào le | I found this book |
Use of the word "到" in lieu of "得"
In a "verbVerb
A verb, from the Latin verbum meaning word, is a word that in syntax conveys an action , or a state of being . In the usual description of English, the basic form, with or without the particle to, is the infinitive...
+complement
Complement (linguistics)
In grammar the term complement is used with different meanings. The primary meaning is a word, phrase or clause that is necessary in a sentence to complete its meaning. We find complements that function as an argument and complements that exist within arguments.Both complements and modifiers add...
" sentence structure, the verb should not be used with word ""到" in Mandarin. Instead, it should be used with the word "得". But due to influence from Hokkien, it has been brought into Singaporean Mandarin.
Examples are shown in the table below:
| Singaporean Mandarin (Hokkien influenced) | Standard Mandarin | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| wǒ qì dào bàn sǐ | wǒ qì dé bàn sǐ | I am so angry half-dead. |
| hài dào wǒ bái máng yī cháng | hài dé wǒ bái máng yī cháng | It wastes all my effort. |
| wǒ bèi tā nòng dào hěn bù hǎo yì si | wǒ bèi tā nòng dé hěn bù hǎo yì si | He makes me feel embarrassed. |
Use of the word "去"
Certain Mandarin sentence structure should not use the word "去" (qu), but due to influence from Hokkien, the word "去" has been brought into Singaporean Mandarin.Examples are shown in the table below:
| Singaporean Mandarin (Hokkien influenced) | Standard Mandarin | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| bēi zi pò qù le | bēi zi pò diào le | The cup has broken. |
| qián yòng qù le | qián yòng diào le or qián yòng wán le | The money is used up. |
| yǐ zi yǐ jīng huài qù | yǐ zi yǐ jīng huài diào | The chair has been broken |
Use of Hokkien classifiers
Certain Hokkien classifiers (measure words) are used instead of Mandarin word when used to describe number of an object.Examples are shown in the table below:
| Singaporean Mandarin (Hokkien measure word) | Standard Mandarin | Translation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| yī lì qiú | yī gè qiú | A ball | The word "粒" (lì) is a Hokkien measure word |
| yī zhī fēi jī | yī jià fēi jī | An aeroplane | The word "只" (zhī) is a Hokkien measure word |
| yī zhī dāo | yī bǎ dāo | A knife | The word "支" (zhī) is a Hokkien measure word |
Sentences
Certain sentences are clearly Hokkien sentences. Hokkien Singaporeans have brought in the Hokkien sentences into Singaporean Mandarin.Use of the word "有"
The word "有" (you) is usually added in front of a verbVerb
A verb, from the Latin verbum meaning word, is a word that in syntax conveys an action , or a state of being . In the usual description of English, the basic form, with or without the particle to, is the infinitive...
or verb
Verb
A verb, from the Latin verbum meaning word, is a word that in syntax conveys an action , or a state of being . In the usual description of English, the basic form, with or without the particle to, is the infinitive...
predicate
Predicate (grammar)
There are two competing notions of the predicate in theories of grammar. Traditional grammar tends to view a predicate as one of two main parts of a sentence, the other being the subject, which the predicate modifies. The other understanding of predicates is inspired from work in predicate calculus...
to indicate an existing action or completed status. This is influenced by Singaporean Hokkien.
| Singaporean Mandarin (Hokkien influenced) | Standard Mandarin | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| wǒ yǒu kàn jiàn tā | wǒ kàn jiàn tā le | I saw him |
| yǒu zài jiā ma | zài jiā ma | At home? |
| wǒ míng míng yǒu gěi nǐ | wǒ míng míng gěi le nǐ | I obviously gave you |
Use of the word "会"
The use of word "会" (hui)[literally "can"] is used in colloquial Singaporean Hokkien. This has been influenced by Singaporean Hokkien.| Singaporean Mandarin (Hokkien influenced) | Standard Mandarin | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| chē zǐ huì guò ma | chē zǐ néng guò ma | Can the car cross? |
| dào hóng mào qiáo huì yuǎn ma | dào hóng mào qiáo hěn yuǎn ma | Is it far to travel to Ang Mo Kio? |
| dōng xi hěn duō, chī huì bǎo | dōng xi hěn duō, néng chī bǎo (chī dé bǎo) | There are many things, you can fill your stomach |
Pronunciation of the word "了"
The word "了" is often pronounced as "liǎo" instead of "le" due to influence from Singaporean Hokkien.| Singaporean Mandarin (Hokkien influenced) | Standard Mandarin | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| jī qì huài liǎo | jī qì huài diào le | Machine broke down |
| rén zǒu liǎo | rén zǒu diào le | The person is gone |
Use of the Hokkien auxiliary exclamation words "嘛", "啦" or "咧"
Colloquial Singaporean Mandarin often involves the addition of Hokkien auxiliary exclamation words such as "嘛" (ma), "啦"(la) or "咧"(lēh).| Singaporean Mandarin (Hokkien influenced) | Standard Mandarin | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| xià wǔ dào wǒ jiā wán ma | xià wǔ dào wǒ jiā wán | Come to my place for fun this afternoon |
| nǐ kuài diǎn qù la | nǐ kuài diǎn qù | Quickly go |
| bú shì zhè yàng lēh | bú shì zhè yàng | It's not like this. |
Further reading
- 周清海编著， 《新加坡华语词汇与语法》，新加坡玲子传媒私人有限公司出版， 2002年9月, ISBN 981-4127-23-X， ISBN 978-981-4127-23-3 (Zhou, Qinghai (2002), Vocabulary and Grammar of Singaporean Mandarin, Lingzi Media)
- 周清海(著)，《变动中的语言》，新加坡玲子传媒私人有限公司出版, 2009年, ISBN 981-4243-92-2、ISBN 978-981-4243-92-6 (Zhou, Qinghai (2009), The changing languages, Lingzi Media)
- 周長揖、周清海(著)，《新加坡閩南話詞典》 ，中國社會科學出版社， 2002年，ISBN 978-7-5004-3530-3 (Zhou Changyi,Zhou Qinghai (2002), "Singaporean Hokkien Dictionary", China Social Science Pub.)
- 周長揖(著)，《新加坡閩南話概説》 ，廈門大學出版社， 2000年，ISBN 9787561516924(Zhou Changyi (2000), "An Overview over Singaporean Hokkien", Xiamen University Pub.)
- 周長揖(著)，《新加坡閩南話俗語歌謠選》 ，廈門大學出版社， 2003年，ISBN 7-5615-2158-8(Zhou Changyi (2003), "Collection of Singaporean Hokkien Folk Adage and Ballad", Xiamen University Pub.)
See also
- Singaporean MandarinSingaporean MandarinSingaporean Mandarin is a variety of Mandarin Chinese widely spoken in Singapore. It is one of the four official languages of Singapore along with English, Malay and Tamil....
- Standard Singaporean MandarinStandard Singaporean MandarinStandard Singaporean Mandarin is the standard form of Singaporean Mandarin. It is used in all official Chinese media, including all television programs on Channel 8 and Channel U, various radio stations, as well as in Chinese lessons in all Singapore government schools. The written form of Chinese...
- Languages of Singapore
- Chinese in SingaporeChinese in SingaporeChinese Singaporeans are people of Chinese ethnicity who hold Singaporean nationality. As of 2010, Chinese Singaporeans constitute 74.1% of Singapore's resident population, or approximately three out of four Singaporeans, making them the largest ethnic group in Singapore...
- Speak Mandarin CampaignSpeak Mandarin CampaignThe Speak Mandarin Campaign is an initiative by the government of Singapore to encourage the Singaporean Chinese population to speak Mandarin, one of the four official languages of Singapore...
- Singapore Chinese CharactersSingapore Chinese CharactersSingapore's Chinese Characters were introduced to the island during the time that it was a British colony in the 1920s. The development of Singapore's Chinese characters is divided into three periods:# Before 1969 : Used Traditional Chinese Characters...
- SingdarinSingdarinColloquial Singaporean Mandarin, also known as Singdarin is an interlanguage native to Singapore. In Taiwan, this language variety is known as Singnese . It is based on Mandarin but has a large amount of English in its vocabulary. For this reason, Singdarin is sometimes known as "Anglo-Chinese"...
- Standard MandarinStandard MandarinStandard Chinese or Modern Standard Chinese, also known as Mandarin or Putonghua, is the official language of the People's Republic of China and Republic of China , and is one of the four official languages of Singapore....
- Taiwanese MandarinTaiwanese MandarinTaiwanese Mandarin is a variant of Mandarin derived from the official Standard Mandarin spoken in Taiwan Area of the Republic of China . The latter's standard lect is known in Taiwan as 國語 , based on the phonology of the Beijing dialect together with the grammar of Vernacular Chinese...
- Malaysian MandarinMalaysian Mandarin- Malaysian Mandarin is a variety of Mandarin Chinese spoken in Malaysia by ethnic Chinese in Malaysia. Malaysian Chinese tend to think that the Mandarin Chinese they speak is a variation of Standard Mandarin , however, since the difference can be as similar as British English and Malaysian...
- Singaporean HokkienSingaporean HokkienSingaporean Hokkien is a local variant of the Hokkien dialect spoken in Singapore. It is closely related to the Southern Malaysian Hokkien spoken in Southern Malaysia as well as Riau Hokkien spoken in the Indonesian province of Riau...