ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Hokkien influence on Singaporean Mandarin

Okay, so imagine you're at a party and there are lots of different snacks to eat. One of the snacks is a piece of cake. Now, lots of people like cake, but there are many different kinds of cake, right? Some people like chocolate cake, some people like vanilla cake, and some people like fruitcake.

Well, just like there are different kinds of cake, there are also different kinds of languages. In Singapore, the main language that people speak is called Mandarin. It's kind of like the cake that everyone at the party is eating. But just like there are different flavors of cake, there are also different flavors of Mandarin.

One of the flavors of Mandarin in Singapore is influenced by a language called Hokkien. Hokkien is a language that some people in Singapore also speak, and it has had an impact on the way that Mandarin is spoken there. It's kind of like adding a special flavor to the cake that makes it taste different from the other cakes at the party.

So, because Hokkien is spoken by some people in Singapore, the way they pronounce Mandarin words might be a little bit different than the way people in other places pronounce them. For example, they might use different tones or emphasize different parts of the words.

Just like how different flavors of cake can be yummy in different ways, the Hokkien influence on Singaporean Mandarin gives it a unique and special taste that makes it different from other kinds of Mandarin spoken in other places.