by LearnDialect.sg | Oct 12, 2021 | Dialect Articles, Hokkien
“Kan!” You exclaimed, after accidentally kicking your toe against a wall. You probably did not give it much thought, but you involuntarily uttered a Hokkien swear word. In Minnan language or what is locally known as Hokkien, ‘swear words’ are known as 垃圾话 lah sap weh,... 
by LearnDialect.sg | Oct 4, 2021 | Dialect Articles, Teochew
If you ask people in Singapore (and possibly Southeast Asia) what they think about the Teochew language, their responses are likely to be, “When people speak Teochew, they sound like they are singing!” While the Teochew language sounds refined and has a melodious ring... 
by LearnDialect.sg | Sep 7, 2021 | Cantonese, Dialect Articles
I have always thought that the best way to begin learning a new language is to start with its swear words. They are short and easy to remember. Of course, nothing feels better than being able to express your extreme unhappiness to someone who just pissed you off. This... 
by LearnDialect.sg | Jul 23, 2021 | Dialect Articles, Hokkien
Singlish is the unofficial lingua franca in Singapore. It is a local version of English that is peppered with grammar and phrases from vernaculars such as Malay, Tamil, Hokkien and Cantonese. This is a testament to Singapore’s immigrant heritage, where the... 
by LearnDialect.sg | Mar 21, 2021 | Dialect Articles, Hokkien
“Next station, Tiong Bahru!” In Singapore, hearing such public transport announcements is a daily occurrence to many of us. We are no strangers to these familiar places and streets, but did you know that some of these names are in Hokkien? Behind each of these street... 
by LearnDialect.sg | Jun 17, 2020 | Cantonese, Dialect Articles, Hokkien, Teochew
With Chinese dialects slowly going obsolete among the younger generation, three youths fluent in their respective dialects share the importance of dialect in their lives. Once ridiculed by her peers for speaking in dialect, Student Quek Ji Kiat loathed speaking Hakka...