Questions tagged [singapore-english]
Questions about English used in Singapore.
12 questions
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Pronunciation of read (past participle) and red in Singapore English
Are they generally pronounced with the same vowel in Singapore English, or not?
American and British dictionaries list them both as /ɹɛd/, but I find that I pronounce red with a less open vowel than ...
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4
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2
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In Singaporean English, what does the phrase 'Ok, Ken' mean?
I was in a training session today with a Singaporean trainer (lah!) and he kept using the phrase:
"Ok, Ken"
I checked the meeting attendees for a 'Ken' - but there was definitely no 'Ken' ...
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0
answers
570
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Use of "a staff" to refer to a single person
In Singapore, it's quite common to use "staff" for a single person, and not uncommon to use "staffs" as a plural. For example, from a local university's press release:
In US ...
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6
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2
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777
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What does "corn" refer to in English-speaking parts of Asia?
In North America, "corn" refers to the crop some call "maize", Zea mays mays. I'm told that this is the meaning of "corn" in Australia and New Zealand as well.
Contrarily, in the British Isles, "...
- 1,259
3
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4
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'Chargeable': Where else, besides Singapore, is this word commonly used in this particular context?
In Singapore, the word chargeable is used in the sense of it being something that can be charged for. Example:
Customer asks, "Is the green tea free?"
Waitress responds, "Sorry no, it ...
user38936
4
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8
answers
68k
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Does "less than" really mean "subtracted from", or is it bad English?
I got involved in a discussion about some Math problems provided in the local primary school education:
20 more than 543 is 563
25 less than 261 is 236
155 less than 310 is 155
355 more than 1233 is ...
- 239
12
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6
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8k
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Is using the present perfect old fashioned?
I was talking to a Singaporean (English is her native language. I think, closer to American rather than British) friend.
I learned in English class that you can use present perfect when there is a ...
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43
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6
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444k
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What does "pax" mean in the context of the apartment rental?
I'm looking at apartment ads in Singapore, but I don't understand what pax means. Here's an example:
View 8pm today @ Hdb Approved HDB 1+1 Blk 3 Jalan Kukoh (Chin Swee Rd):
15 min walk Chinatown MRT
...
- 1,248
11
votes
6
answers
2k
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Does "oath" have an implied religious connotation?
In Singapore you don't have to swear an oath in court if you are of certain religions. Instead you affirm that you're speaking the truth:
Circumstances under which affirmation may be made
16. ...
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22
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3
answers
50k
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Saying “today morning” to mean “this morning”
As an American, I use the term this morning, but I’ve noticed some Asian Indian coworkers who always say today morning to mean what I mean by this morning.
Is this an Indian English “dialectism”? Is ...
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5
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8
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Are contractions like "didn't" forbidden in written English? [duplicate]
Possible duplicate of:
Using contracted forms (“don't”, “let's”) in a formal text
Usage of contractions like “it's” and “that's” in textbooks
Should contractions ...
- 171
4
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6
answers
3k
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In which countries is that “long time no see” greeting common?
I used to hear this greeting several times a day when in Singapore.
In other English-speaking countries, is this idiomatic expression known, do people consider it funny, or just a terrible ...
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