Английская Википедия:Hokkien influence on Singaporean Mandarin
Шаблон:Short description Шаблон:Use dmy dates Шаблон:Use Singapore English Singaporean Hokkien is the largest non-Mandarin Chinese dialect spoken in Singapore. As such, it exerts the greatest influence on Colloquial Singaporean Mandarin, resulting in a Hokkien-style Singaporean Mandarin widely spoken in the country.
Influences on phonology
Some Hokkien Singaporeans are unable to accurately pronounce the sounds of Standard Mandarin due to influences from their Hokkien mother tongue. These include consonants such as f, z, zh, s, r. They also pronounce some vowels and rhymes such as i, e, en, eng differently. In terms of tone, they often bring the checked tone (Шаблон:Zh) of Hokkien into Mandarin.Шаблон:Citation needed
Hokkien-derived vocabulary
The use of Hokkien vocabulary in Singaporean Mandarin can be categorized as such:
- Use of Hokkien words in lieu of standard Mandarin words (loanwords)
- Use of Hokkien monosyllabic words in lieu of standard disyllabic Mandarin words (calques)
- Replacing of Mandarin morphemes with Hokkien morphemes
- Use of Hokkien word order (in vocabulary) in lieu of standard Mandarin word order
- Modifying the meaning of Mandarin word using Hokkien words (loaned meaning)
Hokkien borrowings
Some Hokkien words with the same meaning are used to replace standard Mandarin words.
| Singaporean Mandarin (Hokkien loan words) | Standard Mandarin | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Шаблон:Lang miàn pén | Шаблон:Lang liǎn pén | Washbasin |
| Шаблон:Lang lóng gōu | Шаблон:Lang shuǐ gōu | Ditch |
| Шаблон:Lang shāo shuǐ | Шаблон:Lang rè shuǐ | Hot water |
| Шаблон:Lang fēng tāi | Шаблон:Lang chē tāi | Tire |
| Шаблон:Lang zhǔ fàn | Шаблон:Lang shāo fàn or Шаблон:Lang zuò fàn | Cooking |
| Шаблон:Lang yī lù lái | Шаблон:Lang xiàng lái or Шаблон:Lang yī zhí | All along |
Monosyllabic borrowings
Some Hokkien mono-syllabic words are used instead of two-syllable words in Mandarin.
Omission of Mandarin words' suffixes
The suffix of certain Mandarin words might be omitted in colloquial Singaporean Mandarin due to the use of Hokkien mono-syllabic words. For instance, the suffix "Шаблон:Lang Шаблон:Lang" is commonly omitted in colloquial Singaporean Mandarin.
| Colloquial Singaporean Mandarin (Hokkien mono-syllabic word) | Standard Mandarin | Definition | Example of Usage (Singaporean Mandarin) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Шаблон:Lang yā | Шаблон:Lang yā zi | Duck | Шаблон:Lang (I bought a duck) |
| Шаблон:Lang wèi | Шаблон:Lang wèi zi | Seat | Шаблон:Lang (No more seats) |
| Шаблон:Lang qún | Шаблон:Lang qún zi | Skirt | Шаблон:Lang (Your skirt is too long.) |
| Шаблон:Lang lǐng | Шаблон:Lang lǐng zi | Collar | Шаблон:Lang (Your collar is very dirty.) |
| Шаблон:Lang shí | Шаблон:Lang shí tou | Stone | Шаблон:Lang (This stone is very big.) |
Replacing Mandarin morpheme with Hokkien morpheme
A morpheme in Mandarin is removed from a two-syllable word, leaving a one-syllable word, which is used in Hokkien.
| Colloquial Singaporean Mandarin (Hokkien morpheme) | Standard Mandarin | Definition | Example of Usage (Singaporean Mandarin) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Шаблон:Lang sè | Шаблон:Lang yán sè | Colour | Шаблон:Lang (What colour is this cloth?) |
| Шаблон:Lang lì | Шаблон:Lang lì qi or Шаблон:Lang lì liang | Strength | Шаблон:Lang (I have no more strength) |
| Шаблон:Lang gōng | Шаблон:Lang gōng zuò | Work | Шаблон:Lang (go and find a work) |
| Шаблон:Lang míng | Шаблон:Lang míng bai | Understand | Шаблон:Lang (Once you say it, I've understood it) |
| Шаблон:Lang xiāo | Шаблон:Lang tuī xiāo | Sell | Шаблон:Lang (He helps me to sell many books) |
Same meaning, different word order
Some multi-syllable words in Standard Mandarin might be used with a different word order (reversed or changed) in Hokkien, and the latter's word order is adopted into Singaporean Mandarin.
| Colloquial Singaporean Mandarin (Hokkien word order) | Standard Mandarin | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Шаблон:Lang miàn xiàn | Шаблон:Lang xiàn miàn | Rice noodle |
| Шаблон:Lang rén kè | Шаблон:Lang kè rén | Guest |
| Шаблон:Lang fàn hé | Шаблон:Lang hé fàn | Small box of meal |
Modifying the meaning of Mandarin using Hokkien words
Certain words in Standard Mandarin have a different meaning in Hokkien, and this difference is adopted by Singaporean Mandarin.
Some examples of these are listed below.
| Colloquial Singaporean Mandarin (Hokkien loan word) | Standard Mandarin | Definition | Usage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Шаблон:Lang féi | Шаблон:Lang pàng | Fat | Шаблон:Lang (You've been fatter recently) | The Mandarin word "肥" is not originally used for a person. Instead, Standard Mandarin uses the word "胖" esp. when referring to a fat person. |
| Шаблон:Lang shuǎng | Шаблон:Lang tòng kuai | Happy/Joyful | Шаблон:Lang (play joyfully) | The Mandarin word "爽" originally means "cool". Here it has been modified to mean "happy". |
| Шаблон:Lang huì | Шаблон:Lang néng | Able to | Шаблон:Lang (Is the car able to cross?) | The word "會" in Standard Mandarin does not mean an action that can probably be realized. "能", which indicates a possibility, is usually used instead. |
| Шаблон:Lang běn shì | Шаблон:Lang yǒu běn shì | Capable | Шаблон:Lang (He is capable) | The word "本事" in Standard Mandarin is a 'noun'. |
Influences on grammar
Singaporean Hokkien has influenced Singaporean Mandarin Grammar in 5 main areas.
Word order
The word order refers to the order or sequence of how words are arranged in combination. Because of influence from Singaporean Hokkien, the word order in certain phrases are replaced by that of Singaporean Hokkien, or are simultaneously used with that of Singaporean Mandarin.
"Verb/object + complement" structure
In Standard Mandarin, certain object in predicate structure are put after a complement. However, the "verb/object + complement" structure is used in Singaporean Mandarin.
Examples are shown in the table below:
| Colloquial Singaporean Mandarin | Standard Mandarin | Translation | Grammar Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Шаблон:Lang nǐ shàng kè wán zài qù ba | Шаблон:Lang nǐ shàng wán kè zài qù ba | You go only after you've finished lessons! | The object "課" is put before the complement "完", instead of after. |
| Шаблон:Lang kǎo shì wán nǐ zài lái | Шаблон:Lang kǎo wán shì nǐ zài lái | Come only after you've finished the exam! | The object "試" is put before the complement "完", instead of after. |
| Шаблон:Lang nǐ chī fàn le zài xiě hǎo ma | Шаблон:Lang nǐ chī liǎo fàn zài xiě hǎo ma | Can you write after you've finished your meal? | The object "飯" is put before the complement "了", instead of after. |
Changes in overlapping word order
Overlapping word order in Singaporean Mandarin sometimes differ from that of Standard Mandarin.
Examples are shown in the table below:
| Singaporean Mandarin (overlapping words) | Standard Mandarin (overlapping words) | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Шаблон:Lang xiǎng dōng xiǎng xī | Шаблон:Lang dōng xiǎng xī xiǎng | Anyhow think |
| Шаблон:Lang gǎo qī gǎo bā | Шаблон:Lang qī gǎo bā gǎo | Anyhow mess around |
Overlapping of words
Certain mono-syllabic adjectives and verbs or two-syllable adjectives and verbs in Singaporean Hokkien have entered into Singaporean Mandarin. These are used together with their counterparts in Standard Mandarin.
Examples are shown in the table below:
| Singaporean Mandarin | Standard Mandarin | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Шаблон:Lang huā hóng hóng hěn hǎo kàn | Шаблон:Lang huā hóng hóng de hěn hǎo kàn | The flower is reddish and looks great. |
| Шаблон:Lang nǐ shì kàn kan | Шаблон:Lang nǐ shì shì kàn | Just try it. |
| Шаблон:Lang chī kàn kàn la | Шаблон:Lang chī chī kàn la | Just try eating it. |
| Шаблон:Lang bǎ gōng kè zuò wán | Шаблон:Lang bǎ gōng kè dōu zuò wán | Finish all of the homework. |
| Шаблон:Lang zhè xie nǐ chī chī diào hǎo ma | Шаблон:Lang zhè xie nǐ dōu chī diào hǎo ma | Can you finish eating all these? |
| Шаблон:Lang dà jiā dōu zuò hǎo hǎo | Шаблон:Lang dà jiā dōu zuò hǎo hǎo de | Everyone is sitting properly. |
| Шаблон:Lang tā pǎo kuài kuài lái ná dōng xi | Шаблон:Lang tā hěn kuài de pǎo lái ná dōng xi | He runs here quickly to take the thing. |
| Шаблон:Lang tā yìng yìng yào qù | Шаблон:Lang tā yìng (shì) yào qù | He insists on going. |
| Шаблон:Lang bù yào luàn luàn xiě | Шаблон:Lang bù yào luàn xiě | Don't anyhow write. |
| Шаблон:Lang nǐ jiǔ jiǔ cái lái yī cì | Шаблон:Lang nǐ hěn jiǔ cái lái yī cì | He came only once after a long time. |
| Шаблон:Lang chī bǎo fàn chū qù sàn bù sàn bù | Шаблон:Lang chī bǎo fàn chū qù sàn sàn bù | Go for a stroll after you've finished your meal. |
| Шаблон:Lang dà jiā jiàn miàn jiàn miàn yī xià yě hǎo | Шаблон:Lang dà jiā jiàn jiàn miàn yě hǎo or Шаблон:Langdà jiā jiàn yī xià miàn yě hǎo | It's good everyone of us meet for a while |
Omission
Certain components of a sentence that are used in Standard Mandarin are omitted in colloquial Singaporean Mandarin, due to Hokkien influence on the latter.
Omission of directional verbs
Certain directional verbs are omitted or dropped in Singaporean Mandarin.
Examples are shown in the table below:
| Singaporean Mandarin (Hokkien-style omission) | Standard Mandarin | Translation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Шаблон:Lang chē zǐ tài dà, bù néng jìn | Шаблон:Lang chē zǐ tài dà, bù néng jìn qù | The car is too big, it cannot get in. | The directional verb "去" has been omitted. |
| Шаблон:Lang kǎo shì chéng jī hái méi chū | Шаблон:Lang kǎo shì chéng jī hái méi chū lai | The exam results haven't come out. | The directional verb "來" has been omitted. |
Omission of the word "得"
The word "得" used in the sentence structure between a verb and a complement has been omitted in colloquial Singaporean Mandarin
Examples are shown in the table below:
| Singaporean Mandarin (omission of the word "得") | Standard Mandarin | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Шаблон:Lang nǐ chī hěn màn | Шаблон:Lang nǐ chī de hěn màn | You eat very slowly. |
| Шаблон:Lang zhè zhǒng shì wǒ jiàn tài duō le | Шаблон:Lang zhè zhǒng shì wǒ jiàn dé tài duō le | I've seen this thing too many times. |
Omission of certain numbers
Certain numbers, which are expressed in Standard Mandarin, are omitted in colloquial Singaporean Mandarin.
Examples are shown in the table below:
| Singaporean Mandarin (omission of certain numbers) | Standard Mandarin | Translation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Шаблон:Lang kuài bàn | Шаблон:Lang yī kuài wǔ máo | One dollar and fifty cents (money) | The number "一" (one) has been omitted |
| Шаблон:Lang chǐ èr | Шаблон:Lang yī chǐ èr | 1.2 feet (length) | The number "一" (one) has been omitted |
| Шаблон:Lang bǎi sān | Шаблон:Lang yī bǎi sān shí | One hundred and thirty | The number "一" (one) has been omitted |
| Шаблон:Lang liǎng wàn wǔ yuán | Шаблон:Lang liǎng wàn wǔ qiān yuán | Twenty five thousand dollars | The number "千" (thousand) has been omitted |
Word groupings and arrangements
Certain word groupings and arrangements in colloquial Singaporean Mandarin sentences are greatly influenced by Hokkien.
Use of the words "有" and "無"
In Mandarin, the words "有" and "無" generally do not act as complementary verbs. But due to influence from Hokkien, colloquial Singaporean Mandarin uses them as complementary verbs.
Examples are shown in the table below:
| Singaporean Mandarin (Hokkien influenced) | Standard Mandarin | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Шаблон:Lang nǐ tīng yǒu ma? wǒ tīng yǒu. | Шаблон:Lang nǐ tīng dé dǒng ma? wǒ tīng dé dǒng | Do you understand me? |
| Шаблон:Lang tā kàn yǒu wǒ kàn méi yǒu | Шаблон:Lang tā kàn dé jiàn, wǒ kàn bú jiàn | He could see, I cannot see. |
| Шаблон:Lang zhè běn shū wǒ zhǎo yǒu le | Шаблон:Lang zhè běn shū wǒ zhǎo dào le | I found this book |
Use of the word "到" in lieu of "得"
In a "verb+complement" sentence structure, standard Mandarin uses the word 得 to link the verb and complement. Singapore Mandarin, due to influence from Hokkien, uses the word 到 instead.
Examples are shown in the table below:
| Singaporean Mandarin (Hokkien influenced) | Standard Mandarin | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Шаблон:Lang wǒ qì dào bàn sǐ | Шаблон:Lang wǒ qì dé bàn sǐ | I am so angry half-dead. |
| Шаблон:Lang hài dào wǒ bái máng yī cháng | Шаблон:Lang hài dé wǒ bái máng yī cháng | It wastes all my effort. |
| Шаблон:Lang wǒ bèi tā nòng dào hěn bù hǎo yì si | Шаблон:Lang wǒ bèi tā nòng dé hěn bù hǎo yì si | He makes me feel embarrassed. |
Use of the word "去"
Certain Singapore Mandarin sentence structures use the word Шаблон:Zh as the resultative complement, where another character (such as Шаблон:Zh) might be used in Standard Mandarin.
Examples are shown in the table below:
| Singaporean Mandarin (Hokkien influenced) | Standard Mandarin | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Шаблон:Lang bēi zi pò qù le | Шаблон:Lang bēi zi pò diào le | The cup has broken. |
| Шаблон:Lang qián yòng qù le | Шаблон:Lang qián yòng diào le or Шаблон:Lang qián yòng wán le | The money is used up. |
| Шаблон:Lang yǐ zi yǐ jīng huài qù | Шаблон:Lang yǐ zi yǐ jīng huài diào | The chair has been broken |
Use of Hokkien classifiers
Шаблон:Further A classifier (measure words) which is used with a certain noun in Hokkien might also be used similarly in Singapore Mandarin with the same noun, whereas another classifier might be used for that same word in Standard Mandarin.
Examples are shown in the table below:
| Singaporean Mandarin (Hokkien measure word) | Standard Mandarin | Translation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Шаблон:Lang yī lì qiú | Шаблон:Lang yī gè qiú | A ball | The word "粒" (lì) is a Hokkien measure word |
| Шаблон:Lang yī zhī fēi jī | Шаблон:Lang yī jià fēi jī | An aeroplane | The word "只" (zhī) is a Hokkien measure word |
| Шаблон:Lang yī zhī dāo | Шаблон:Lang yī bǎ dāo | A knife | The word "支" (zhī) is a Hokkien measure word |
Sentences
Certain sentence structures used in Singapore Mandarin are influenced by Hokkien, and differ from their Standard Mandarin counterparts.
Some cases are listed in the following sub-sections.
Use of the word "有"
The word "Шаблон:Zh" (yǒu) is usually added in front of a verb or verb predicate to indicate an existing action or completed status.
| Singaporean Mandarin (Hokkien influenced) | Standard Mandarin | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Шаблон:Lang wǒ yǒu kàn jiàn tā | Шаблон:Lang wǒ kàn jiàn tā le | I saw him |
| Шаблон:Lang yǒu zài jiā ma | Шаблон:Lang zài jiā ma | At home? |
| Шаблон:Lang wǒ míng míng yǒu gěi nǐ | Шаблон:Lang wǒ míng míng gěi le nǐ | I obviously gave you |
Use of the word "會"
The use of word "Шаблон:Zh" (huì) [literally "can"] is used in colloquial Singaporean Hokkien, and such a use has entered Singapore Mandarin. The sense of Шаблон:Zh as "can" in Standard Mandarin is generally limited to knowledge or skilled ability, such as ability to speak a language, but in Singaporean Mandarin it is broader and closer to the meaning of "Шаблон:Linktext" in English, which indicates possibility or ability generally.
| Singaporean Mandarin (Hokkien influenced) | Standard Mandarin | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Шаблон:Lang chē zǐ huì guò ma | Шаблон:Lang chē zǐ néng guò ma | Can the car cross? |
| Шаблон:Lang dào hóng mào qiáo huì yuǎn ma | Шаблон:Lang dào hóng mào qiáo hěn yuǎn ma | Is it far to travel to Ang Mo Kio? |
| Шаблон:Lang dōng xi hěn duō, chī huì bǎo | Шаблон:Lang dōng xi hěn duō, néng chī bǎo (chī dé bǎo) | There are many things, you can fill your stomach |
Pronunciation of the word "了"
The word "Шаблон:Zh" is often pronounced as "liǎo" instead of "le".
| Singaporean Mandarin (Hokkien influenced) | Standard Mandarin | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Шаблон:Lang jī qì huài liǎo | Шаблон:Lang jī qì huài diào le | Machine broke down |
| Шаблон:Lang rén zǒu liǎo | Шаблон:Lang rén zǒu diào le | The person is gone |
Use of the Hokkien sentence-final particles "嘛", "啦" or "咧"
Colloquial Singaporean Mandarin often involves the addition of Hokkien sentence-final particles such as "Шаблон:Zh" (ma), "Шаблон:Zh" (la) or "Шаблон:Zh" (lēh).
| Singaporean Mandarin (Hokkien influenced) | Standard Mandarin | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Шаблон:Lang xià wǔ dào wǒ jiā wán ma | Шаблон:Lang xià wǔ dào wǒ jiā wán | Come to my place for fun this afternoon |
| Шаблон:Lang nǐ kuài diǎn qù la | Шаблон:Lang nǐ kuài diǎn qù | Quickly go. |
| Шаблон:Lang bú shì zhè yàng lēh | Шаблон:Lang bú shì zhè yàng | It's not like this. |
See also
- Singaporean Mandarin
- Standard Singaporean Mandarin
- Languages of Singapore
- Chinese in Singapore
- Speak Mandarin Campaign
- Singapore Chinese characters
- Singdarin
- Standard Mandarin
- Taiwanese Mandarin
- Malaysian Mandarin
- Singaporean Hokkien
References
Further reading
- 周清海编著， 《新加坡华语词汇与语法》，新加坡玲子传媒私人有限公司出版， 2002年9月, Шаблон:ISBN， Шаблон:ISBN (Zhou, Qinghai (2002), Vocabulary and Grammar of Singaporean Mandarin, Lingzi Media)
- 周清海(著)，《变动中的语言》，新加坡玲子传媒私人有限公司出版, 2009年, Шаблон:ISBN、Шаблон:ISBN (Zhou, Qinghai (2009), The changing languages, Lingzi Media)
- 周長揖、周清海(著)，《新加坡閩南話詞典》 ，中國社會科學出版社， 2002年，Шаблон:ISBN (Zhou Changyi, Zhou Qinghai (2002), "Singaporean Hokkien Dictionary", China Social Science Pub.)
- 周長揖(著)，《新加坡閩南話概説》 ，廈門大學出版社， 2000年 (Zhou Changyi (2000), "An Overview over Singaporean Hokkien", Xiamen University Pub.)
- 周長揖(著)，《新加坡閩南話俗語歌謠選》 ，廈門大學出版社， 2003年，Шаблон:ISBN(Zhou Changyi (2003), "Collection of Singaporean Hokkien Folk Adage and Ballad", Xiamen University Pub.)
