5 Common "Chinglish" Mistakes Singaporeans Make (and How to Fix Them)

If you grew up speaking Mandarin, Hokkien, or Cantonese at home, you probably translate phrases directly into English without realising it.

This direct translation is logical to us - but confusing to international colleagues and clients.

Here are 5 common "Chinglish" mistakes and how to fix them for clearer, more natural English.

1. "Open the Light"

Chinglish: "Can you open the light?"

Natural English:

• "Can you turn on the light?"
• "Can you switch on the light?"

Why: In English, we "open" doors, windows, and bottles - but we "turn on" or "switch on" lights and appliances. This comes from the Chinese phrase where one verb can cover both meanings.

2. "I Borrow You My Pen"

Chinglish: "I borrow you my pen."

Natural English:

• "I'll lend you my pen."
• "You can borrow my pen."

The rule: Borrow means take something from someone. Lend means give something to someone. In Chinese, one verb often covers both meanings, which causes confusion.

3. "Please Off the Computer"

Chinglish: "Please off the computer."

Natural English:

• "Please turn off the computer."
• "Please shut down the computer."

Why: "Off" is not a verb. It needs a verb phrase like "turn off" or "switch off" to work in English.

4. "Got People?"

Chinglish: "Got people?"

Natural English:

• "Is anyone there?"
• "Is anyone available?"
• "Is someone at the counter?"

Tip: Full questions sound clearer and more professional. "Got people?" is efficient in spoken Singlish but reads as incomplete in written English.

5. "Can You Help Me Do This?"

Chinglish: "Can you help me do this report?" (vague)

Natural English:

• "Could you help me with this report?"
• "Could you handle this report?"
• "Could you review this report for me?"

Why: "Help me do" is vague - it doesn't specify what kind of help you need. Using specific verbs like "review," "complete," or "handle" makes your request clearer and more actionable.

The Better Habit: Rewrite for Natural English

A normal grammar checker fixes spelling. It catches typos like "teh" instead of "the."

But AI Grammar Buddy can also fix logic and intent. It understands that "open the light" isn't a spelling error - it's a translation pattern that needs to be rewritten naturally.

Instead of translating Chinese to English in your head, try Email Improver and let it rewrite the sentence into natural, professional English.

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