Singaporeans: The People of Singapore

Singapore is a diverse country with many different languages, religion and culture. The population consists of 4 main ethnic groups. The Chinese takes up majority, followed by Malays, Indians and finally Eurasians.

Languages & Dialects

For those who are not familiar with Singapore, the most common questions that usually come up first is, “What language does Singaporeans speak? As a country with different races living together, it is important for Singaporeans to be able to communicate with people of different cultures and races. In fact, most Singaporeans are bilingual, with English language as their first language, which makes travelling within the country a breeze. Basically, you will get to hear different languages while you travel around Singapore. Mandarin, Malay, Tamil and even dialects like, Hokkien, Teochew and Cantonese!

Uniquely Singapore – Singlish

Due to its diverse culture, Singaporean has developed their own colloquial slang that is uniquely Singapore. “Singlish”, also known as Singapore’s English is a blend of the country’s many languages and dialects, including British’s English, Bahasa Melayu, Tamil, Hokkien, Teochew, Cantonese and many more.

The common words used by Singaporean for their daily conversations are “Lah”, “Leh”, “Loh” and many times, the change with the tonality of the words could mean differently to the sentence.

Weather

The weather in Singapore is warm and humid all year round, with temperature rising to 34 degree during the day and decreasing to 26 degree at night. For those who love the Sun, it can get scorching hot during the day time thus remember to hydrate yourself.

Rainfall is at on an average per month and it usually peaks during the month of March to August. Not to worry if you decide not bring an umbrella along with you. Singapore is packed with buildings and shopping malls, which you should not have much problems keeping yourself dry.

Dressing / Dresscode

What should I wear in Singapore? T-shirts, Berms/pants and a comfortable pair of sneaker. Do not to be surprised if you see locals wearing singlets, shorts and slippers walking around Orchard Road. It is not that they care less on their self image but probably they feel that it is more important to wear something comfortable under such weather.

Wear any thin lining clothings, unless you are attending a black tie event or gala dinner. Down jacket or winter gears will never be required throughout the year but maybe a simple cardigan or shawl if you are heading to the cinema. However, please note that some restaurants, bars and clubs might still required certain dresscodes, before you can enter.