What are the spoken languages of Singapore?

There is no doubt that Singapore is a melting point of different cultures and because of the diversity in the nation, you may also find lots of languages there. Before heading to this nation, it becomes important to know about the spoken languages of Singapore so that you have great communication with the locals and hassle-free interaction & trips in Singapore. In this article, we have gathered data regarding the national, official, and native languages of Singapore which will help you to leave a great impact on the locals and you have a unique identity among the other tourists in Singapore. Get yourself to this rich cultural destination with our Singapore tour packages catering to all your travel needs. For more details, call us at +971-4256-2434.

National Language of Singapore

Malay

Malay is the national language of Singapore which is spoken by almost 13% of the people in Singapore. Before 1819, Malay was an important language of Singapore, even the national anthem, i.e. Majulah Singapura’ was also written in Malay. The Malay language is inspired by Roman and Arabic scripture, composed by Rumi. The popularity of this language can be found in its nearby islands such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei which speak various variants and dialects of Malay.

Malay popular phrases:

• apakabar – Hello
• terimakasih – Thank you
• se la mat jalan – Good bye
• Ta-hoo-kah ber -da ha sa Ingris? – Do you speak English?
• samasama – Same
• Sa-ya tee dak fa-ham – I don’t understand
• To-long! – Help!
• Teedak – No

Official Languages of Singapore

There are four official languages in Singapore: English, Mandarin, Tamil, and Singlish. Singapore is a multilingual country that reflects various cultures in Singapore.

English

There is no doubt that English is a predominant global language in the world, and it can be assumed that English is widely spoken in Singapore and has become a primary medium of instruction for businesses, schools, and the government of Singapore. Almost 70% of the people in Singapore communicate in English. They follow the norms and grammar of British English.

Mandarin

Tourists may experience that most of the Singapore population is Chinese, which is why it is usual to find Mandarin and Huayu as official languages. It has the same structure and composition as used in Beijing. Most of the Chinese came from the southern part of China with their culture and various languages, such as Hokkien, Cantonese, Teochew, and Hainanese.

Common Mandarin Phrases:

• Hello – Ni hao
• Do you speak English – Ni hui jiang Yingyu ma?
• How are you – Ni hao ma?
• Goodbye – Zaijian
• Thank you – Xie Xie

Tamil

Almost 9.2% of people in Singapore are Indians of which 76% people speak English. They came from Tamil Nadu and left a great impact on others of their culture. Due to the increasing population, this language has become one of the official languages of Singapore. Visitors may also find its popularity at the street sign boards to popular destinations.

Popular Tamil Phrases:

• Hi – Alo
• Good morning – Kaalai Vanakkam
• Good bye – Poittu Varen
• Can you help me – Enakku Udhavi Seivienkala
• One moment please – Oru Nimidam
• Thank you – Romba Nandri

Singlish

It is an informal language of various parts of Singapore. It is a fusion of English with other languages such as Malay, Tamil, and Hokkien.  This language is widely spoken in Singapore with local jumbled local slang and expressions. The phonetic sounds of this language are interesting and make it unique.

Singlish Common Phrases:

• One chicken rice to take away – One Chicken Rice da bao
• Not good – Not good one lah
• Where is the bus stop – Where bas?
• Black Coffee – Kopi Oh
• Iced Coffee – Kopi Ais
• Why is it so expensive – Wah liao so expensive lah

Other Native Languages in Singapore

As of now, we have found different types of languages in Singapore, in which one is national and the others are official. Apart from that, some native languages in Singapore show the diverse backgrounds of Singapore people contributing to the national heritage. These languages are Hokkien, Cantonese, Teochew, Malay Dialects, Punjabi, Filipino, Bengali, Malay, Creoles, etc.

Read this blog on different languages of Singapore and get yourself to this wonderful destination with your family and friends to spend a lot of memorable memories capturing in your heart. Start your amazing tour with our top Singapore honeymoon tour packages and Singapore family tour packages to cater to all your travel desires at the best prices. For more details, don’t forget to call at +971-4256-2434.