Singlish words you need to know translated into British English

Singapore flag. 

Problem
Singlish sounds like English but the change of grammar or introduction of a new word can lead to ambiguity or total incomprehension by English speakers. Once you have mastered a few words most of it becomes clear.

Lee Kuan Yew, who was both revered and feared, was educated in the UK and an advocate of using British English to encourage the ability to speak proper, recognizable English to pass exams and  aid international communication making Singapore more accessible to trade and tourism.

However, increasingly Singlish is making a comeback.

After my family bought Kleenex boxes with Singlish words, I went to the Kleenex Facebook page and asked for translations.

You can buy books on Singlish from bookshops in Singapore and on line.

Singlish From Kleenex Boxes:
bojio -
chope - reserve a seat of table by placing on the table of chair an item such as paper tissues
lim kopi -

Singlish
b (baja?) - Singaporean educated in the UK and speaking British English at home

Singlish often shortens sentences, making it quicker and easier to speak Singlish

General Singlish Terms
borrow - borrow or lend
can? - can you / can I ?
can, can! - yes I can / yes, you can
Correct (often pronounced without the t as correck) - you are right / yes
off day - day off (in the UK an off day or bad hair day is a day when everything goes wrong)
off the light - turn off the light
off service (on buses) - out of service
out of point - speaking off the topic
lend - borrow or lend
no more already - we are out of stock
pick you at the airport - pick you up at the airport

When you read the history of education in Asia and the UK it is interesting to see how the pendulum swings. In the UK after WWII it would have been considered of little use and very difficult to find a teacher or take an exam in Chinese or Japanese. However, in 2018 increasing numbers of Asians are visiting the UK, which means translators are required for tourists as guides and in shops, and increasing numbers of pupils are learning Chinese and Japanese (which is different as a spoken language but can be read or written using both Chinese and Romanised writing).

https://www.britannica.com/topic/education/The-spread-of-Western-educational-practices-to-Asian-countries

(More text and pictures will be added later.)

Angela Lansbury
Author and teacher of English and other languages