Singaporean Mandarin
Encyclopedia
Singaporean Mandarin is a variety of Mandarin Chinese widely spoken in Singapore. It is one of the four official language
s of Singapore along with English
, Malay
and Tamil
.
Singapore Mandarin can be classified into two distinct Mandarin dialects, Standard Singaporean Mandarin
and Colloquial Singaporean Mandarin. These two dialects are easily distinguishable to a person proficient in Mandarin. Standard Singaporean Mandarin
is the register of Mandarin used by Chinese elites in Singapore and can be heard on television and radio and is the form taught in all Singapore government schools while Colloquial Singaporean Mandarin (Singdarin) is the form used by the general populace, usually among those with poorer command of Mandarin and who are less exposed to Standard Mandarin
. They tend to infuse the language with many words from other Chinese dialects, Malay and English.
The official standard of Mandarin of Republic of Singapore, known in Singapore as Huayu , based on the phonology of the Beijing dialect
and the grammar of Vernacular Chinese
, is almost identical to the standard of Mandarin used in the People's Republic of China
, known in there as Pǔtōnghuà . Standard Singaporean Mandarin
, which is usually heard on Singaporean Mandarin language TV and radio news broadcast, is generally similar to Putonghua in terms of phonology
, vocabulary
and grammar
. Small differences appear in the form of vocabulary differences.
However, in terms of colloquial spoken Mandarin, Singaporean Mandarin is still subject to influence from the local historical, cultural and social influences of Singapore. As such, there are remarkable differences between colloquial Singaporean Mandarin and Putonghua. Colloquial Singaporean Mandarin bears the closest resemblance with Colloquial Malaysian Mandarin.
Singaporean Mandarin only became widely spoken by the Chinese community in Singapore
after the Speak Mandarin Campaign
in 1979. It is today considered to be the second most commonly spoken language in Singapore, after English. As of 2000, 82% of literate Chinese Singaporeans were literate in the language and were able to speak Singaporean Mandarin. Due to its widespread usage, Singaporean Mandarin has replaced Singaporean Hokkien
as the lingua franca
of the Chinese community in Singapore
today. Following the economic rise of China in the 21st century, Mandarin proficiency has been viewed with greater importance and has risen in terms of prominence in Singapore.
Like its English counterpart Singlish
, Singaporean Mandarin also has a creole
when spoken colloquially, known informally as Singdarin
.
and early Vernacular Chinese
(baihua) of early 20th century. Because Singapore's Chinese schools adopted Chinese teaching materials from Republic of China
in the early 20th century, Singapore's early Mandarin pronunciations was based on the Zhuyin in the Dictionary of National Pronunciation (國音字典) and Vocabulary of National Pronunciation for Everyday Use (國音常用字彙). As such, it had preserved the older forms of pronunciations. In addition, during its initial development, Singaporean Mandarin was also influenced by Chinese dialects of Singapore such as Hokkien
, Teochew, Cantonese
etc.
From 1949 to 1979, due to lack of contact between Singapore and China, Putonghua did not exert any form of influence on Singaporean Mandarin. On the contrary, the majority of Mandarin Chinese entertainment media, Chinese literature, books and reading materials in Singapore came mainly from Taiwan. Consequently, Singaporean Mandarin has been influenced by Taiwanese Mandarin
to a certain degree. After the 1980s, along with China's Open Door Policy, there was increasing contact between Singapore and China, thus increasing Putonghua's gradual influence on Singaporean Mandarin. These influences included the adoption of pinyin
and the shift from usage of Traditional Chinese characters to Simplified Chinese characters.
Today, Singaporean Mandarin continues to develop under its own local environment. Major influences continue to come from Putonghua, Taiwanese Mandarin
and English.
to teach the Chinese classics and Classical Chinese
.
After the May Fourth Movement
in 1919, under the influence from the New Culture Movement
in China, the local Old-style private Chinese school in Singapore began to follow the new education reform as advocated by China's reformist. Thus, the language of medium in school changed from other Chinese dialects to Mandarin Chinese or Guóyǔ (國語. This marked the beginning of the development of Singaporean Mandarin.
However, at that time, there was no colloquial Standard Mandarin, which can be used as a basis for learning Mandarin. In addition, during the early 1900s, most Mandarin teachers in Singapore came from southern parts of China, and had strong southern Chinese dialect accents. Thus, the pronunciations in Singaporean Mandarin were under heavy influence from China's southern Chinese dialects; for instance, there were no erhua
(兒化), light tone (輕聲), and no sentences had the heavy or light accent (輕重音) etc.
In 1919, a group of scholars in China published the Dictionary of National Pronunciation (國音字典). This was one of the earliest dictionaries on modern Mandarin based on the Beijing dialect of Mandarin. However, the dictionary was a mix of northern Chinese sounds and southern Chinese rhymes, which included a 5th tone; the checked tone (rù shēng or 入聲). It wasn't until 1932 that a dictionary called the Vocabulary of National Pronunciation for Everyday Use, which was based truly on the Beijing dialect, (國音常用字彙) was published. This dictionary standardized the form of Mandarin taught in Singapore's Chinese schools. During the 1930s and 1940s, new immigrants from China, known as xīn kè (新客) helped to established more Chinese schools in Singapore, increasing the propagation of the Mandarin language in Singapore. The name of Mandarin language in Singapore was eventually changed from Guoyu (國語) to Huayu (華語).
used. A lack of contact between Singapore and China from 1949 to 1979 meant that Singaporean Mandarin had to invent its own new words to suit the local Singapore environment, as well as borrow certain words from Taiwanese Mandarin
or some other Chinese dialects that were spoken in Singapore. As a result, new Mandarin words proprietary to Singapore were invented.
:
and English language
. Some of the local Singaporean Mandarin writings do exhibit certain local Singaporean features.
The use of zì (字) originates from Hokkien (jī or lī), Cantonese or Classical Chinese. Its origin came from the ancient Chinese units of measuring time. In ancient Chinese time measurement, hours were measured in terms of shíchén (时辰), equivalent to 2 hours while minutes were measured in terms of kè (刻), equivalent to 15 minutes. Each kè was in turn divided into 3 zì (equivalent to 5 minutes). For instance, 7:45 pm is:
Both 拜 (bài) and 礼拜 (lǐbài) originate from Hokkien pài and lé-pài respectively.
. For example:
Translation: only like this
For example:
The word 有 (yǒu) is sometimes omitted in writing.
, unlike in Putonghua. In Putonghua grammar, the use of the word "一下" (yīxià) is often put at the back of a verb to indicate that the action (as indicated by the verb) is momentary.
For example:
Compare the following:
. There are 4 tones similar to those in Standard Mandarin
, but Erhua
(-er finals) and the neutral tone (轻声, lit. 'light tone') are generally absent in Singaporean Mandarin.
In its initial development, Singaporean Mandarin was highly influenced by the Ru sheng 入声 (checked tones or "5th tones") from other Chinese dialects. As such, the 5th tone did appear in earlier Singaporean Mandarin. The characteristics of the 5th tone are as follows:
However, due to over 20 years of development, the 5th tone in Singaporean Mandarin had basically disappeared. It no longer exists in modern Singaporean Mandarin.
is the largest non-Mandarin Chinese dialect spoken in Singapore. The natural tendency of Hokkien-speakers to use the Hokkien way to speak Mandarin has influenced to a large degree the colloquial Mandarin spoken in Singapore. The colloquial Hokkien-style Singaporean Mandarin
is commonly heard in Singapore, and can differ from Putonghua in terms of vocabulary, phonology and grammar.
, the government does not officially discourage the use of traditional characters. Therefore, many shop signs continue to be written in traditional characters. Menus in hawker centres and coffeeshops are also usually written in traditional characters.
As there is no restriction on the use of traditional characters in the mass media, television programmes, books, magazines and music CD's that have been imported from Hong Kong or Taiwan are widely available, and these almost always use traditional characters. Most karaoke discs, being imported from Hong Kong or Taiwan, have song lyrics in traditional characters as well. While all official publications are in simplified characters, the government still allows parents to choose whether to have their child's Chinese name registered in simplified or traditional characters.
Singapore had undergone three successive rounds of character simplification, eventually arriving at the same set of simplified characters as Mainland China
. Before 1969, Singapore generally used traditional characters. From 1969 to 1976, the Ministry of education launched its own version of Simplified Characters, which differ from that of Mainland China
. But after 1976, Singapore fully adopted the Simplified Characters version of Mainland China
Official language
An official language is a language that is given a special legal status in a particular country, state, or other jurisdiction. Typically a nation's official language will be the one used in that nation's courts, parliament and administration. However, official status can also be used to give a...
s of Singapore along with English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Malay
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
and Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
.
Singapore Mandarin can be classified into two distinct Mandarin dialects, Standard Singaporean Mandarin
Standard Singaporean Mandarin
Standard 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...
and Colloquial Singaporean Mandarin. These two dialects are easily distinguishable to a person proficient in Mandarin. Standard Singaporean Mandarin
Standard Singaporean Mandarin
Standard 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...
is the register of Mandarin used by Chinese elites in Singapore and can be heard on television and radio and is the form taught in all Singapore government schools while Colloquial Singaporean Mandarin (Singdarin) is the form used by the general populace, usually among those with poorer command of Mandarin and who are less exposed to Standard Mandarin
Standard Mandarin
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....
. They tend to infuse the language with many words from other Chinese dialects, Malay and English.
The official standard of Mandarin of Republic of Singapore, known in Singapore as Huayu , based on the phonology of the Beijing dialect
Beijing dialect
Beijing dialect, or Pekingese , is the dialect of Mandarin spoken in the urban area of Beijing, China. It is the phonological basis of Standard Chinese, which is used by the People's Republic of China, the Republic of China , and Singapore....
and the grammar of Vernacular Chinese
Vernacular Chinese
Written Vernacular Chinese refers to forms of written Chinese based on the vernacular language, in contrast to Classical Chinese, the written standard used from the Spring and Autumn Period to the early twentieth century...
, is almost identical to the standard of Mandarin used in the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, known in there as Pǔtōnghuà . Standard Singaporean Mandarin
Standard Singaporean Mandarin
Standard 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...
, which is usually heard on Singaporean Mandarin language TV and radio news broadcast, is generally similar to Putonghua in terms of phonology
Phonology
Phonology is, broadly speaking, the subdiscipline of linguistics concerned with the sounds of language. That is, it is the systematic use of sound to encode meaning in any spoken human language, or the field of linguistics studying this use...
, vocabulary
Vocabulary
A person's vocabulary is the set of words within a language that are familiar to that person. A vocabulary usually develops with age, and serves as a useful and fundamental tool for communication and acquiring knowledge...
and grammar
Grammar
In linguistics, grammar is the set of structural rules that govern the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any given natural language. The term refers also to the study of such rules, and this field includes morphology, syntax, and phonology, often complemented by phonetics, semantics,...
. Small differences appear in the form of vocabulary differences.
However, in terms of colloquial spoken Mandarin, Singaporean Mandarin is still subject to influence from the local historical, cultural and social influences of Singapore. As such, there are remarkable differences between colloquial Singaporean Mandarin and Putonghua. Colloquial Singaporean Mandarin bears the closest resemblance with Colloquial Malaysian Mandarin.
Singaporean Mandarin only became widely spoken by the Chinese community in Singapore
Chinese in Singapore
Chinese 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...
after the Speak Mandarin Campaign
Speak Mandarin Campaign
The 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...
in 1979. It is today considered to be the second most commonly spoken language in Singapore, after English. As of 2000, 82% of literate Chinese Singaporeans were literate in the language and were able to speak Singaporean Mandarin. Due to its widespread usage, Singaporean Mandarin has replaced 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...
as the lingua franca
Lingua franca
A lingua franca is a language systematically used to make communication possible between people not sharing a mother tongue, in particular when it is a third language, distinct from both mother tongues.-Characteristics:"Lingua franca" is a functionally defined term, independent of the linguistic...
of the Chinese community in Singapore
Chinese in Singapore
Chinese 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...
today. Following the economic rise of China in the 21st century, Mandarin proficiency has been viewed with greater importance and has risen in terms of prominence in Singapore.
Like its English counterpart Singlish
Singlish
Colloquial Singaporean English, also known as Singlish, is an English-based creole language spoken in Singapore.Singlish is commonly regarded with low prestige in Singapore. The Singaporean government and many Singaporeans alike heavily discourage the use of Singlish in favour of Standard English...
, Singaporean Mandarin also has a creole
Creole language
A creole language, or simply a creole, is a stable natural language developed from the mixing of parent languages; creoles differ from pidgins in that they have been nativized by children as their primary language, making them have features of natural languages that are normally missing from...
when spoken colloquially, known informally as Singdarin
Singdarin
Colloquial 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"...
.
Overview
Singaporean Mandarin had preserved the vocabulary and certain features of the Classical ChineseClassical Chinese
Classical Chinese or Literary Chinese is a traditional style of written Chinese based on the grammar and vocabulary of ancient Chinese, making it different from any modern spoken form of Chinese...
and early Vernacular Chinese
Vernacular Chinese
Written Vernacular Chinese refers to forms of written Chinese based on the vernacular language, in contrast to Classical Chinese, the written standard used from the Spring and Autumn Period to the early twentieth century...
(baihua) of early 20th century. Because Singapore's Chinese schools adopted Chinese teaching materials from Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
in the early 20th century, Singapore's early Mandarin pronunciations was based on the Zhuyin in the Dictionary of National Pronunciation (國音字典) and Vocabulary of National Pronunciation for Everyday Use (國音常用字彙). As such, it had preserved the older forms of pronunciations. In addition, during its initial development, Singaporean Mandarin was also influenced by Chinese dialects of Singapore such as Hokkien
Min Nan
The Southern Min languages, or Min Nan , are a family of Chinese languages spoken in southern Fujian, eastern Guangdong, Hainan, Taiwan, and southern Zhejiang provinces of China, and by descendants of emigrants from these areas in diaspora....
, Teochew, Cantonese
Standard Cantonese
Cantonese, or Standard Cantonese, is a language that originated in the vicinity of Canton in southern China, and is often regarded as the prestige dialect of Yue Chinese....
etc.
From 1949 to 1979, due to lack of contact between Singapore and China, Putonghua did not exert any form of influence on Singaporean Mandarin. On the contrary, the majority of Mandarin Chinese entertainment media, Chinese literature, books and reading materials in Singapore came mainly from Taiwan. Consequently, Singaporean Mandarin has been influenced by Taiwanese Mandarin
Taiwanese Mandarin
Taiwanese 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...
to a certain degree. After the 1980s, along with China's Open Door Policy, there was increasing contact between Singapore and China, thus increasing Putonghua's gradual influence on Singaporean Mandarin. These influences included the adoption of pinyin
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
and the shift from usage of Traditional Chinese characters to Simplified Chinese characters.
Today, Singaporean Mandarin continues to develop under its own local environment. Major influences continue to come from Putonghua, Taiwanese Mandarin
Taiwanese Mandarin
Taiwanese 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...
and English.
History
Before the 20th century, Old-style private Chinese school known as sīshú (私塾) in Singapore generally used Chinese dialects (such as Hokkien, Teochew, Cantonese, etc.) as their medium of instructionMedium of instruction
Medium of instruction is a language used in teaching. It may or may not be the official language of the country or territory. Where the first language of students is different from the official language, it may be used as the medium of instruction for part or all of schooling. Bilingual or...
to teach the Chinese classics and Classical Chinese
Classical Chinese
Classical Chinese or Literary Chinese is a traditional style of written Chinese based on the grammar and vocabulary of ancient Chinese, making it different from any modern spoken form of Chinese...
.
After the May Fourth Movement
May Fourth Movement
The May Fourth Movement was an anti-imperialist, cultural, and political movement growing out of student demonstrations in Beijing on May 4, 1919, protesting the Chinese government's weak response to the Treaty of Versailles, especially the Shandong Problem...
in 1919, under the influence from the New Culture Movement
New Culture Movement
The New Culture Movement of the mid 1910s and 1920s sprang from the disillusionment with traditional Chinese culture following the failure of the Chinese Republic, founded in 1912 to address China’s problems. Scholars like Chen Duxiu, Cai Yuanpei, Li Dazhao, Lu Xun, Zhou Zuoren, and Hu Shi, had...
in China, the local Old-style private Chinese school in Singapore began to follow the new education reform as advocated by China's reformist. Thus, the language of medium in school changed from other Chinese dialects to Mandarin Chinese or Guóyǔ (國語. This marked the beginning of the development of Singaporean Mandarin.
However, at that time, there was no colloquial Standard Mandarin, which can be used as a basis for learning Mandarin. In addition, during the early 1900s, most Mandarin teachers in Singapore came from southern parts of China, and had strong southern Chinese dialect accents. Thus, the pronunciations in Singaporean Mandarin were under heavy influence from China's southern Chinese dialects; for instance, there were no erhua
Erhua
Erhua ; also called erhuayin refers to a phonological process that adds r-coloring or the "ér" sound to syllables in spoken Mandarin Chinese. It is most common in the speech varieties of North China, especially in the Beijing dialect, as a diminutive suffix for nouns, though some dialects also...
(兒化), light tone (輕聲), and no sentences had the heavy or light accent (輕重音) etc.
In 1919, a group of scholars in China published the Dictionary of National Pronunciation (國音字典). This was one of the earliest dictionaries on modern Mandarin based on the Beijing dialect of Mandarin. However, the dictionary was a mix of northern Chinese sounds and southern Chinese rhymes, which included a 5th tone; the checked tone (rù shēng or 入聲). It wasn't until 1932 that a dictionary called the Vocabulary of National Pronunciation for Everyday Use, which was based truly on the Beijing dialect, (國音常用字彙) was published. This dictionary standardized the form of Mandarin taught in Singapore's Chinese schools. During the 1930s and 1940s, new immigrants from China, known as xīn kè (新客) helped to established more Chinese schools in Singapore, increasing the propagation of the Mandarin language in Singapore. The name of Mandarin language in Singapore was eventually changed from Guoyu (國語) to Huayu (華語).
Lexicon (Vocabulary)
Major differences between Singaporean Mandarin Huayu (華語) and Putonghua lie in the vocabularyVocabulary
A person's vocabulary is the set of words within a language that are familiar to that person. A vocabulary usually develops with age, and serves as a useful and fundamental tool for communication and acquiring knowledge...
used. A lack of contact between Singapore and China from 1949 to 1979 meant that Singaporean Mandarin had to invent its own new words to suit the local Singapore environment, as well as borrow certain words from Taiwanese Mandarin
Taiwanese Mandarin
Taiwanese 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...
or some other Chinese dialects that were spoken in Singapore. As a result, new Mandarin words proprietary to Singapore were invented.
Unique Singaporean Mandarin words
There are many new terms that are specific to living in Singapore (though some also apply in neighbouring Malaysia). These words were either translated from Malay and Chinese dialects (or invented) as there were no equivalent words in Putonghua. Some of the words are directly translated from Malay. Words translated from Malay include kampung, kelong, satay and pasar (巴刹, English 'market'). This explains the uniquely Singapore Mandarin words.| Hanzi | Pinyin | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| hóngmáodān | rambutan Rambutan The rambutan is a medium-sized tropical tree in the family Sapindaceae, and the fruit of this tree. It is native to Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and elsewhere in Southeast Asia, although its precise natural distribution is unknown. It is closely related to several... (a type of Southeast Asian fruit) |
|
| kuílóng | kelong Kelong A Kelong is a Malay word to describe a form of offshore platform built predominantly with wood, and can be found in waters off Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia, while only a handful remains around Singapore due to rapid urbanisation.Kelongs are built by fishermen primarily for fishing... (a place for fishing) |
|
| gānbǎng | kampung (village) | |
| shādīe | Satay Satay Satay , or sate, is a dish of marinated, skewered and grilled meat, served with a sauce. Satay may consist of diced or sliced chicken, goat, mutton, beef, pork, fish, other meats, or tofu; the more authentic version uses skewers from the midrib of the coconut palm frond, although bamboo skewers are... (a type of Singaporean Malay food) |
|
| qīngtāng | a type of dessert | |
| gùběn | coupon. Also used for car parking | |
| zǔwū | flat built by Housing Development Board | |
| yōngchēzhèng | car ownership-license | |
| bǎo jiàn chǔ xǜ | medisave Medisave Medisave was introduced in April 1984 as a national medical savings account system for Singaporeans. The system allows Singaporeans to put aside part of their income into a Medisave account to meet future personal or immediate family's hospitalization, day surgery and for certain outpatient... (medical saving) |
|
| zhōu mò yòng chē | Weekend Car (a classification of car ownership in Singapore) | |
| cáilù | "Giro Giro A Giro or giro transfer is a payment transfer from one bank account to another bank account and instigated by the payer, not the payee... " (a system of payment through direct bank account deduction in Singapore) |
|
| bāsā | "bazaar Bazaar A bazaar , Cypriot Greek: pantopoula) is a permanent merchandising area, marketplace, or street of shops where goods and services are exchanged or sold. The term is sometimes also used to refer to the "network of merchants, bankers and craftsmen" who work that area... " or market or pasar (Malay) |
|
| / |
mín zhòng jù lè bù lián luò suǒ |
community centre |
| lāsā | laksa Laksa Laksa is a popular spicy noodle soup from the Peranakan culture, which is a merger of Chinese and Malay elements found in Malaysia and Singapore, and to a lesser extent Indonesia.- Origin :The origin of the name "laksa" is unclear... (a type of curry noodle) |
|
| lājī chóng | "litter-bug"; someone who violated the law for littering | |
| páiwū | terrace house |
Same meaning, different words
There are some words used in Singaporean Mandarin that have the same meaning with other words used in Putonghua or Taiwanese MandarinTaiwanese Mandarin
Taiwanese 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...
:
| Hanzi | Pinyin | Definition | Putonghua | Guoyu | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| lè líng | old people | lǎo líng |
nián zhǎng zhě |
||
| sān wén zhì | sandwich | sān míng zhì |
From English "sandwich" via Cantonese sāam màhn jih | ||
| déshì | taxi | chūzūchē |
jìchéngchē |
compare Cantonese dīk sih (from English "taxi"). | |
| huò guì | container | jí zhuāng xiāng |
huò guì |
||
| huǒ huàn | fire | huǒ zāi |
huǒ jǐng |
is also used in Singapore and Taiwan. | |
| nài | durable/lasting | nài yòng |
nài yòng |
From classical Chinese. 耐用 is also used in Singapore | |
| jià chē | drive a car | kāi chē |
kāi chē |
The word 驾 originates from classical Chinese. 开车 is also used in Singapore. 驾车 has also found its way into Putonghua vocabulary. | |
| shǒu gè | first | dì yī gè |
第一个 is also used in Singapore. 首个 has also found its way into Putonghua vocabulary. | ||
| gōng zhòng | public mass | qǘn zhòng |
qǘn zhòng |
公众 has also found its way into Putonghua vocabulary. | |
| qún tǐ | organized group | jí tǐ |
jí tǐ |
群体 has also found its way into Putonghua and Taiwanese Mandarin vocabulary. | |
| dì yī shí jīan | immediately | lì kè |
lì jí |
||
| yī tóu wù shǔi | blurred and confused | yūn tóu zhǔan xìang |
hú lǐ hú tú |
the idiom 一头雾水 has also found its way into Putonghua vocabulary. | |
| mǎ tóu | dock | gǎng kǒu |
gǎng kǒu |
From Hokkien/Cantonese, Hokkien: bé-thâu, Cantonese: ma tau | |
| líng xiú | leader | líng dǎo |
líng xiú |
领导 is sometimes used in Singapore | |
| shǒu tí diàn huà | mobile phone | shǒu jī |
/ xíng dòng diàn huà/shǒu jī |
is also used in Singaporean Mandarin, although less frequently. | |
| kè gōng | foreign worker | wài láo |
also appears in some Singaporean Chinese writing (e.g. Lianhe Zaobao Lianhe Zaobao Nanyang Sin-Chew Lianhe Zaobao , commonly abbreviated as Lianhe Zaobao , is the largest Singapore based Chinese-language newspaper with a daily circulation of about 176,000. Published by Singapore Press Holdings , it was formed on March 16, 1983 as a result of a merger between Nanyang Siang Pau and... ) |
||
| nóng fū | farmer | nóng mín |
xiāng mín |
农夫 was an older Chinese term used in China before 1949, but continues to be used in Singapore. | |
| bā shì | bus | gōng jiāo chē |
/ gōng chē/bā shì |
From Cantonese | |
| diàn dān chē | motorcycle | mó tuō chē |
jī chē |
From Cantonese | |
| luó lǐ | lorry | kǎ chē |
huò chē |
From English word "lorry" | |
| jiǎo tóu | corner | jiǎo luò |
jiǎo luò |
From Hokkien "kak-thâu". Note thaut in Putonghua, "角头" actually means "chieftain of mafia/secret society" instead of "corner". | |
| sàn qián | small change | líng qián |
líng qián |
Originates from classical Chinese. "散钱" is also used in Putonghua |
Same word, different meanings
There are certain similar words used in both Singaporean Mandarin and Putonghua, but have different meanings and usage.| Hanzi | Pinyin | Meaning in Huayu | Meaning in Putonghua | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| xiǎo jiě | Miss | Prostitute or lady involved in sex trade | 小姐 is used to refer to a lady or waitress in restaurant in Singaporean Mandarin. However, in Putonghua, 小姐 has negative connotation in the northern provinces, used mainly to refer to prostitutes. 女士 or 服务员 tends to be more commonly used in Putonghua, instead of 小姐. In Taiwan it is used the same way as in Singapore. | |
| duì fù | fight against/counteract | take action to deal with a person or problem | 对付 is used to refer in negative connotation in Singaporean Mandarin to mean fight or counteract for e.g. against a criminal or terrorist. But in Putonghua, it can have positive connotation to mean take action dealing with a person or problem. | |
| dǒng | know | understand | 懂 is commonly used in Singaporean Mandarin to mean "know" instead of 知道 (Putonghua). 懂 means 'understand' in Putonghua. | |
| jì suàn jī | calculator | computer | 计算机 is commonly used in Singaporean Mandarin to mean 'calculator'. In PRC, the word 计算器 is used instead to refer to 'calculator'. 计算机 means computer in PRC, although in the recent years, the word 电脑 for computer has also become more popular in PRC. |
Loanwords and influence from other Chinese dialects
There is quite a number of specific words used in Singaporean Mandarin that originate from other Chinese dialects such as Hokkien, Teochew, Cantonese etc. These dialects have also influenced the pronunciation in Singaporean Mandarin.| Hanzi | Pinyin | Definition | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ā bìng gē | soldiers | originates from Hokkien "a-peng-ko" | |
| pà shū | afraid to lose | originates from Hokkien "Kiasu Kiasu Kiasu is a Hokkien word that literally means 'fear of losing' . However its actual usage would imply a meaning more approaching that of "dog in a manger", and yet not quite... " |
|
| jǐ shí | when? | originates from Hokkien "kuí-sî" or Classical Chinese (Putonghua: 什么时候) |
|
| ā gōng | grandpa | originates from Hokkien "a-kong" | |
| ā mā | grandma | originates from Hokkien "a-má" | |
| ā pó | old lady | originates from Hokkien "a-pô" | |
| hěn xiǎn | very boring | spoken colloquially in Singaporean Mandarin instead of / (in Standard Mandarin). The word "xian 显" originates from Hokkien 'hián-sèng' (顯聖). | |
| gǎn gǎn | be brave/daring | spoken colloquially in Singaporean Mandarin instead of 勇敢 (in Standard Mandarin). For instance, 敢敢做个开心人！(dared to be a happy person). The word "敢敢" originates from Hokkien "káⁿ-káⁿ" (daring) | |
| gǔ zǎo | ancient | originates from Hokkien "kó͘-chá". Appear in some Singaporean Chinese writing (e.g. Hawker Center) instead of (in Standard Mandarin). | |
| zuò gōng | work | originates from Hokkien "cho-kang", which means 'work'. 做工 is often spoken colloquially in Singaporean Mandarin instead of 工作/上班 (in Standard Mandarin) . In Standard Mandarin, 做工 usually means doing work that involves manual hard labour . | |
| shāo | hot | originates from Hokkien "sio", which means 'hot'. 烧 is often spoken colloquially in Singaporean Mandarin instead of 热/烫 (in Standard Mandarin) . | |
| shěn mè lái dè | What is this? | originates from Hokkien "siáⁿ-mi̍h lâi ê" (啥物來的). 什么来的 is often spoken colloquially in Singaporean Mandarin instead of the more formal 这是什么 (in Standard Mandarin) | |
| qǐ jià | price increase | originates from Hokkien "khí-kè". 起价 is often spoken colloquially in Singaporean Mandarin instead of the more formal 涨价 (in Standard Mandarin) | |
| zuò mò | Why？/ Doing what? | originates from Cantonese "zou me 做咩". 做莫 is often spoken colloquially in Singaporean Mandarin instead of the more formal 爲什麽/做什麽 (in Standard Mandarin) | |
| ā lǎo | man | originates from Cantonese | |
| shì mēh | is it? | The word originates from Cantonese and is used in colloquial Singaporean Mandarin. Compare Standard Mandarin " shì ma". | |
| dà ěr lóng | loan shark Loan shark A loan shark is a person or body that offers unsecured loans at illegally high interest rates to individuals, often enforcing repayment by blackmail or threats of violence.... |
originates from Cantonese. (compare Guoyu: ) | |
| dā kè | passenger | originates from Cantonese (compare Putonghua: ) | |
| bǎi wū lóng | misunderstanding/make mistakes/confusion | originates from Cantonese | |
| hào liàn | boastful, likes to show off | originates from Teochew (ho lien). Other than 'likes to show off', the term can also describes someone who has a strong pride, i.e. cares about not losing face. (compare Putonghua: 爱出风头， Guoyu: 愛現）) | |
| lǔ miàn | a type of noodle | originates from Teochew "lou mee". | |
| guǒ tiáo | a type of flat noodle | originates from Teochew "kuey tiao". （compare Cantonese "hor fan 河粉"） |
Loanwords and English influences
There is quite a number of specific words used in Singaporean Mandarin that originate or are transliterated from English. These words appear in written Singaporean Mandarin.| Hanzi | Pinyin | Definition | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| móduōxīkǎ | Motorcycle | Both 电单车 and 摩托车 are also used in Singaporean Mandarin | |
| bāxiān | Percentage | 百分比 is standard |
Grammar
In terms of standard written Mandarin in Singapore, the Singaporean Mandarin grammar is almost similar to that of Putonghua. However, the grammar of colloquial Singaporean Mandarin can differ from that of Putonghua as a result of influence from other Chinese dialects, classical ChineseClassical Chinese
Classical Chinese or Literary Chinese is a traditional style of written Chinese based on the grammar and vocabulary of ancient Chinese, making it different from any modern spoken form of Chinese...
and English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. Some of the local Singaporean Mandarin writings do exhibit certain local Singaporean features.
Time
When speaking of minutes, colloquial Singaporean Mandarin typically uses the word 字 (zì), which represents a unit of 5 minutes. When referring to a number of hours (duration), 钟头 (zhōngtóu) is used instead of 小时 (xiǎoshí). For instance:- 5 minutes: 一个字 (yī gè zì)
- 10 minutes: 两个字 (liǎng gè zì)
- 15 minutes: 三个字 (sān gè zì)
- 45 minutes: 九个字 (jiǔ gè zì)
The use of zì (字) originates from Hokkien (jī or lī), Cantonese or Classical Chinese. Its origin came from the ancient Chinese units of measuring time. In ancient Chinese time measurement, hours were measured in terms of shíchén (时辰), equivalent to 2 hours while minutes were measured in terms of kè (刻), equivalent to 15 minutes. Each kè was in turn divided into 3 zì (equivalent to 5 minutes). For instance, 7:45 pm is:
- or 。 (Singaporean Mandarin)
- 。 (Standard Mandarin)
Days of the week
As a result of Hokkien influence, colloquial Singaporean Mandarin typically uses the word "拜-" (bài) to refer to the days of the week, in lieu of Standard Mandarin "星期-" (xīngqí-). For instance:- Monday: 拜一 (bàiyī) instead of 星期一 (xīngqíyī)
- Sunday: 礼拜天 (lǐbàitiān) or simply 礼拜 (lǐbài) instead of 星期日 (xīngqírì)
- A week: 一个礼拜 (yī gè lǐbài) instead of the more formal 一个星期 (yī gè xīngqí)
Both 拜 (bài) and 礼拜 (lǐbài) originate from Hokkien pài and lé-pài respectively.
Large numbers
In colloquial Singaporean Mandarin, 万 (wàn), referring to a "ten thousand" is seldom used. "Ten thousand" is shí qiān (十千), instead of Standard Mandarin yī wàn (一万), while "hundred thousand" is bǎi qiān (百千), instead of Standard Mandarin wàn (万). This usage was influenced by English numbering system.Use of the word "先"
The word "先" (xiān) is often used at the end of a sentence in colloquial Singaporean Mandarin (instead of after a subject, as in Standard Mandarin), as a result of influence from Cantonese grammar. For example, take the sentence "You walk first":- 。 (Singaporean Mandarin)
- 。 (Standard Mandarin)
- 。 (Cantonese)
The use of the word "而已"
而已 (eryǐ) is more common in colloquial Singaporean Mandarin than in Standard Mandarin, which uses 罢了 (bàle). The same is true for Taiwanese MandarinTaiwanese Mandarin
Taiwanese 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...
. For example:
Translation: only like this
- ！ (Singaporean Mandarin)
- ！ (Standard Mandarin)
Use of the word "啊" as an affirmative
In colloquial Singaporean Mandarin, the word "啊" is often used in response to a sentence as an affirmative. It is often pronounced as /ã/ (with a nasal tone) instead of 'ah' or 'a' (in Putonghua). Putonghua tends to use "是" (shì)， "哦" (ó), "噢" (ō) to mean yes.Use of the word "才" instead of "再"
In Singaporean Mandarin, there is a greater tendency to use the word cái "才" (then) in lieu of Standard Mandarin zài "再" (then), which indicates a future action after the completion of a prior action. For instance:- "关税申报单刚巧用完了，打算在飞机上领了才填写。"
- The tax declaration form has incidentally been used up, plan to obtain it on the plane and then fill it up
- "现在不要说，等他吃饱了才说。"
- Don't say anything now; say it only after he's finished his meal
Use of certain nouns as adjectives
In Standard Mandarin, one typical way of turning certain nouns into adjectives, such as 兴趣 (xìngqù, 'interest'), 营养 (yíngyǎng, 'nutrition'), 礼貌 (lǐmào, 'politeness'), is to prefix the word "有" (yǒu) at the front of these nouns.For example:
- "很有兴趣" (hěn yǒu xìngqù - very interested)
- "很有营养" (hěn yǒu yíngyǎng - very nutritious)
- "很有礼貌" (hěn yǒu lǐmào - very polite).
The word 有 (yǒu) is sometimes omitted in writing.
Reduplication of verbs preceding "一下"
In Singaporean Mandarin, verbs preceding "一下" may be reduplicatedReduplication
Reduplication in linguistics is a morphological process in which the root or stem of a word is repeated exactly or with a slight change....
, unlike in Putonghua. In Putonghua grammar, the use of the word "一下" (yīxià) is often put at the back of a verb to indicate that the action (as indicated by the verb) is momentary.
For example:
- 。(Singaporean Mandarin)
- 。(Standard Mandarin)
- "Think for a while."
- 。 (Singaporean Mandarin)
- 。(Standard Mandarin)
- "Research for a little while."
Colloquial use of the word "被"
Singaporean colloquial Mandarin tends to use 被 (bèi) more commonly than Putonghua, mainly due to influence from English.Compare the following:
- "The road has been repaired"
- (Singaporean Mandarin)
- (Putonghua)
Phonology and tones
The phonology and tones of Singaporean Mandarin are generally similar to that of Standard MandarinStandard Mandarin
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....
. There are 4 tones similar to those in Standard Mandarin
Standard Mandarin
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....
, but Erhua
Erhua
Erhua ; also called erhuayin refers to a phonological process that adds r-coloring or the "ér" sound to syllables in spoken Mandarin Chinese. It is most common in the speech varieties of North China, especially in the Beijing dialect, as a diminutive suffix for nouns, though some dialects also...
(-er finals) and the neutral tone (轻声, lit. 'light tone') are generally absent in Singaporean Mandarin.
In its initial development, Singaporean Mandarin was highly influenced by the Ru sheng 入声 (checked tones or "5th tones") from other Chinese dialects. As such, the 5th tone did appear in earlier Singaporean Mandarin. The characteristics of the 5th tone are as follows:
- It is a falling tone. The common tone letter is 51, but sometimes it is 53.
- The tone does not last long. It feels more like an 'interrupted stop'.
- The syllable which carries the tone had a glottal stopGlottal stopThe glottal stop, or more fully, the voiceless glottal plosive, is a type of consonantal sound used in many spoken languages. In English, the feature is represented, for example, by the hyphen in uh-oh! and by the apostrophe or [[ʻokina]] in Hawaii among those using a preservative pronunciation of...
; sometimes the final sounds to be clear, but sometimes, it does not sound very clear. This glottal stopGlottal stopThe glottal stop, or more fully, the voiceless glottal plosive, is a type of consonantal sound used in many spoken languages. In English, the feature is represented, for example, by the hyphen in uh-oh! and by the apostrophe or [[ʻokina]] in Hawaii among those using a preservative pronunciation of...
not only interrupts the lasting period of the tone, but also makes the start of consonantConsonantIn 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 ,...
stronger, thus nearing itself more to a voiced consonant.
However, due to over 20 years of development, the 5th tone in Singaporean Mandarin had basically disappeared. It no longer exists in modern Singaporean Mandarin.
Influences from Singaporean Hokkien
Singaporean HokkienSingaporean 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. The natural tendency of Hokkien-speakers to use the Hokkien way to speak Mandarin has influenced to a large degree the colloquial Mandarin spoken in Singapore. The colloquial Hokkien-style Singaporean Mandarin
Hokkien influence on Singaporean Mandarin
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...
is commonly heard in Singapore, and can differ from Putonghua in terms of vocabulary, phonology and grammar.
Writing system
In Singapore, simplified Chinese characters are the official standard used in all official publications as well as the government-controlled press. While simplified Chinese characters are taught exclusively in schools, unlike in the People's Republic of ChinaPeople's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, the government does not officially discourage the use of traditional characters. Therefore, many shop signs continue to be written in traditional characters. Menus in hawker centres and coffeeshops are also usually written in traditional characters.
As there is no restriction on the use of traditional characters in the mass media, television programmes, books, magazines and music CD's that have been imported from Hong Kong or Taiwan are widely available, and these almost always use traditional characters. Most karaoke discs, being imported from Hong Kong or Taiwan, have song lyrics in traditional characters as well. While all official publications are in simplified characters, the government still allows parents to choose whether to have their child's Chinese name registered in simplified or traditional characters.
Singapore had undergone three successive rounds of character simplification, eventually arriving at the same set of simplified characters as Mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
. Before 1969, Singapore generally used traditional characters. From 1969 to 1976, the Ministry of education launched its own version of Simplified Characters, which differ from that of Mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
. But after 1976, Singapore fully adopted the Simplified Characters version of Mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
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 981412723X， ISBN 9789814127233 (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 9814243922、ISBN 9789814243926 (Zhou, Qinghai (2009), The changing languages, Lingzi Media)
See also
- 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...
- 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"...
- 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...
- 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...
- 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...
- Languages of Singapore
- Regional differences in the Chinese language
- 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...
- Filipino-MandarinFilipino-MandarinFilipino Mandarin is a variety of Mandarin Chinese widely spoken by ethnic Chinese in the Philippines. It is based on the phonology of the Beijing dialect and the grammar of Vernacular Chinese, and is identical to the standard of Mandarin used in Taiwan that is called "Guoyu" . Many...
- 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...