Getting around
MRT
Please mind the platform gap.
Mind the gap.
You hear this when the doors close or the next stop is called. It is written down too, so a missed word does not end the ride.
Singapore
Singapore
Singapore is a city-state on an island at the tip of the Malay Peninsula, built around a busy port.
How the language is used
English, Mandarin, Malay, and Tamil are official, English leads in schools and business, and Mandarin is common in families and hawker centres.
In this city
- Language
- English
- Also heard
- Chinese, Malay and Tamil
- A local word
- Kopi — Coffee, less sweet.
- Writing
- English letters, with Chinese, Malay, and Tamil on many signs
What people say
Ordinary lines from this city: the ride, the counter, the food, and the greeting.
Food
Hawker
Kopi, less sweet.
Coffee, less sweet.
The order is built in short pieces like this one.
The counter
Shop
Can.
Yes, that's fine.
This line is a whole order. You do not need a longer sentence.
The street
Lift
Hold, please.
Please hold the door.
People keep this line short. It is enough for the moment.
The language through the day
English leads on transit, in schools, and in offices. Chinese, Malay and Tamil are official too, and you meet them on signs and at home.
Around Chinatown, Kampong Glam, Little India, this is the ordinary sound of the day.
A first day in Singapore can run on four lines: “Please mind the platform gap.”, “Kopi, less sweet.”, “Can.”, and “Hold, please.”. Each one is already a complete moment.
If you are new here
- Stops, prices, and shop signs are written in English letters, with Chinese, Malay, and Tamil on many signs.
- One everyday you-form covers most shops. Please and thanks do the polite work.
- If a spoken line goes past you, read the screen or the board. In Singapore, the stop and the price are written down.
One local word: Kopi. It means Coffee, less sweet..
Places you can see
- Marina Bay — A bayfront of towers, a barrage, and the lotus-shaped museum on the water.
- Gardens by the Bay — Cooled glasshouses and tall metal trees stand on reclaimed land by the bay.
- Chinatown — A dense quarter of shophouses, temples, and food streets south of the river.
Food
Hawker centres serve chicken rice, laksa, and roti in the same open hall.
Getting around
The MRT and buses cover the island, and station signs are written in English.
Daily life
You queue for a table at a hawker centre once the offices empty, and you hear Mandarin in the line.
A few everyday phrases
English
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Hello | Hello |
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Good morning | Good morning |
| My name is… | My name is… |
Chinese
| Phrase | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 你好 | Nǐ hǎo | Hello |
| 谢谢 | Xièxie | Thank you |
| 早上好 | Zǎoshang hǎo | Good morning |
| 我叫… | Wǒ jiào… | My name is… |
