Travel vlogger Jack The Backpacker recently discovered that navigating the linguistic labyrinth of Singlish in Singapore is no walk in the Merlion Park.
@morejackthebackpacker I’m struggling with English in Singapore #singapore ♬ original sound – morejackthebackpacker
The Briton, a seasoned traveler who boasts a passport filled with stamps from Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Thailand, found himself in uncharted linguistic territory during his recent visit to the Lion City. In a TikTok video that quickly went viral, Jack shared his befuddlement with Singapore’s unique take on the English language.
“I’m a fully native speaker, so I never had any problems with understanding people’s English and accents,” Jack confessed. “But in Singapore, they have a really strong accent.”
The unsuspecting tourist revealed that Singlish, the colloquial blend of English, Malay, Mandarin, and Tamil spoken by Singaporeans, left him utterly perplexed. According to Jack, Singlish has a magical ability to transform sentences into what he described as “unrecognizable” linguistic puzzles.
“In my taxi yesterday, the driver was telling me all sorts of things,” Jack recounted with a bemused expression. “I have no idea what he was saying.”
Jack’s TikTok video quickly gained traction, accumulating over 35,000 views and nearly 200 comments. Netizens flooded the comment section with explanations and anecdotes about Singlish, providing a crash course in the linguistic quirks of the island nation.
One insightful netizen pointed out that Singlish is a reflection of Singapore’s multicultural society, blending influences from various languages seamlessly. Another defender of Singlish argued that the Singaporean English accent is a unique and cherished aspect of the country’s identity.
“Singaporeans here are raised bilingual; you have to get used to it,” one netizen empathetically advised Jack, while another chimed in, confessing their own difficulties understanding what they deemed “proper English.”
Several comments hilariously declared Singlish to be a language in its own right, suggesting that it serves as a linguistic bridge that unites people of different races and backgrounds.
“It helps all races to communicate,” one netizen affirmed, proving that while Jack may have been lost in translation, Singlish continues to be the linguistic glue that binds Singapore’s diversity.
