Friendspeak Singapore style

What is the most commonly spoken language in Singapore? Mandarin? English? Malay? Hokkien? How about, all!

Honestly, I do find this particular aspect of Singapore life truly unique. Actually, I also happen to find this whimsically amusing: Singaporean's bilingual, and sometimes, trilingual ability – in one sentence – is truly amazing.

As a Singaporean, you might not have noted, but if you try and recall or pay attention, I'm sure you would have heard such talk:

你昨天在 meeting 有没有看 HR 那个 woman 给的 presentation? Wah lao, so shy man. 她的 proposal 那样 koyak, still dare to talk so big - really buay-da-han 她. Si-peh malu man!

(Transliteration: Ni3 zuo2 tian4 zai4 meeting you3 mei2 you3 kan4 HR na4 ke4 woman gei3 de4 presentation? Wah lao, so shy man. Ta1 de4 proposal na4 yang4 koyak, still dare to talk so big - really buay-da-han ta1. Si peh malu man!)

(English interpretation: Did you see that woman from HR giving the presentation at the meeting yesterday? Goodness, it was so embarrassing! Her proposal was so lame and yet she still has the gall to rave about it! Can't stand her! Absolutely dreadful!)

Sounds familiar? Of course! Being a Singaporean, I'm sure you've heard this kind of linguistic agility.

Don't know about you folks, but this kind of skillful fluidity in mixing languages in our speech usually brings a smile to me; especially when I hear English, Chinese and Dialect(s) all skillfully weaved into one fluid coherent sentence after another. If you do want to catch them, the best place is hawker centers at lunch time; and try and sit next to a young group chattering away. It's amazing, don't you think so? It's so – uniquely Singapore!

But is it wrong? Weeellll, no, I wouldn't say so. Is it right then? Well, no, too. This is friendspeak, where we are at our most comfortable zone, and this is when we tend to break all language rules ever invented and we don't care about it; I believe this happens all over the world. Yes, even in the land that gave us English – England.

Those who have tried learning a foreign language can testify to that. You learn the phrases from your textbooks, and then when you are actually in that foreign land eagerly wanting to try out your new-found skill, you find that you hardly understand a word they say! Because? They are using friendspeak! It's even more informal than informal.