I recently came across a social media post asking which phrase is the more appropriate description for Singaporeans whose ancestors came from China: “Singapore Chinese” or “Chinese Singaporean”.

Grammatically, I prefer the latter. In English, adjectives generally precede nouns. In the phrase “big table”, for example, the main object is the table; “big” simply describes it. By the same logic, I am first and foremost a Singaporean, while “Chinese” merely describes the type of Singaporean I am.

Yet “Singapore Chinese” remains the more common expression, even in official discourse. Supporters of this formulation argue that nationality should, quite literally, come before ethnicity.

Both expressions appeal to similar instincts – that national identity transcends ethnic loyalty – but the word orders are different.

One possible explanation is language transfer. In Mandarin, a Chinese Singaporean is commonly referred to as Xinjiapo huayi, where the country name precedes huayi (“a person of Chinese descent”). “Singapore Chinese” may simply be Mandarin word order carried over into English.

Language transfer, or cross-linguistic influence, occurs when bilingual or multilingual speakers apply the rules, sounds or structures of one language while using another.