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Can lah: how Singlish is finding its voice in Singapore’s language story

Can lah: how Singlish is finding its voice in Singapore’s language story
South China Morning Post Saturday 13 June 2026, 04:00 UTC By Kolette Lim 1 min read
Key Points

When Natasha Ann Lum was growing up, there was no place for Singlish – an English-based creole language in Singapore – at home. Her father was adamant that Lum and her brother not speak with broken grammar or use conversational markers such as “lah”, “lor” or “eh”. “He didn’t have the luxury of education and felt like he missed out on work opportunities because he didn’t speak English at a level that was required, so he wanted to make sure my brother

When Natasha Ann Lum was growing up, there was no place for Singlish – an English-based creole language in Singapore – at home. Her father was adamant that Lum and her brother not speak with broken grammar or use conversational markers such as “lah”, “lor” or “eh”. “He didn’t have the luxury of education and felt like he missed out on work opportunities because he didn’t speak English at a level that was required, so he wanted to make sure my brother and I would be better off,” said the software... [Image text:] OH..yEH OHZRYEH u SO LiKE THAT! BUyA DRINK LAH
Singlish (ORG) Singapore (LOCATION) Natasha Ann Lum (PERSON) Lum (PERSON)
Originally published by South China Morning Post Read original →

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