Malay (known natively as Melayu) is an ethnic language of Malay people native to the eastern of Sumatra in Indonesia and also spoken in its neighbouring coastal regions such as Riau Islands, Singapore Islands, and Kra Peninsula (consisting of Western Malaysia and Southern Thailand). The ancient phase of Malay language is called Old Malay, it was once spoken in the southern Sumatra before the Malay people migrating to the eastern hemisphere of the island, where these region better known as Riau Province in modern-day. The Malay language still bear similar linguistic characteristics with its neighbouring sister languages such as the Palembang language and Minangkabau language.
Grammar
Word order
Malay word order at its simplest level is subject-verb-object like English. There is no grammatical gender nor are there any verb conjugations for person, number or tense, all of which are expressed with adverbs or tense indicators: saye makan, 'I eat' (now), saye dah makan, 'I already eat' = 'I ate', saye nak makan = 'I want to eat'.
Malay word order does differ from English word order when words such as ini ('this'), itu ('that'), pronouns used as possessives or adjectives are used: buku ini (this book), budak itu (that child), kerete saye (my car), rumah kite orang (our [not including your] house), gunong tinggi (high mountain), bukit kecik (small hill), goreng pisang (fried banana). Ini buku means 'This is a book', saye kerete means 'I am a car', so though people are likely to figure out from context what you mean if you use the wrong word order in these kinds of phrases, they may look at you funny.
Agglutinative structure
A characteristic of Malay is that it is a so-called agglutinative language, which means that the prefixes and suffixes are all attached to a base root. So a word can become very long. For example there is a base word hasil which means 'result'. But it can be extended as far as ketidakberhasilannya, which means his/her failure, from tidak (no) hasil (result) and nya (belonging to him/her/it). However, you will not usually encounter or need to use such complex words in conversational Malay.
Pronouns
Note that Malay has two words which are equivalent to the English 'we'. If you intend to include the person(s) you are addressing, the word to use is kita. If the subject does not include your listener(s), then the correct word would be kami.
Otherwise, simple personal pronouns are analogous to English usage, except that there is only one word for he, she and it: dia. Also, there are different levels of familiarity to pronouns for "I" and "you", all the way from forms only the sultan uses to forms that are only used when speaking to God, a lover and possibly the most intimate family members. In this phrasebook, we will deal with only polite and familiar forms of address, as you will have no occasion to use royal speech unless perhaps the Queen of England is reading this.
Writing
Malay can be written using two scripts: the Latin alphabet, known as Rumi, and an Arabic-derived script known as Jawi. Today, Latin is more commonly used script, and is the official Malay script used in Singapore and Malaysia. In Brunei and Indonesian regions of Riau and Riau Islands, Latin and Jawi are both offical co-official for Malay language, though with the exception of religious publications, Latin is by far the more commonly used script in daily life.
Pronunciation guide
Malay is somehow easy to pronounce: it has one of the most phonetic writing systems in the world, with only small number of simple consonants and relatively few vowel sounds. One peculiarity of the spelling is the lack of a separate sign to denote the schwa. It is written as an 'e', or as an 'a' at the ends of words, which can sometimes be confusing.
Vowels
- a
- like 'a' in 'father', except at the ends of words, where it's a schwa.
- ê
- like 'e' in 'vowel' (schwa), sometimes barely pronounced at all when in the first syllable of a multi-syllable word
- e, é
- like 'e' in 'bed'; the difference between a schwa and an e used to be indicated in writing a long time ago but has not been since the 1960s or earlier.
- i
- like 'ee' in 'beet', sometimes like 'i' in 'thin' in unstressed syllables; in final 'ih' and 'ik' combinations, like 'eh'
- o
- like 'ow' in 'low', but without the 'w' sound
- u
- like 'oo' in 'hoop', in open positions or like 'o' in 'hope' in close positions, such as in final 'uh' and 'uk' combinations
Consonants
- b
- like 'b' in 'bed'
- ch
- like 'ch' in 'China'
- d
- like 'd' in 'dog'
- f
- like 'ph' in 'phone'; can also be pronounced like 'p' in 'pig'.
- g
- like 'g' in 'go'
- h
- like 'h' in 'help'; initial 'h' is not always pronounced in some dialects
- j
- like 'j' in 'jug'; in older romanizations also the vowel i
- k
- like 'c' in 'cat'; at ends of words, a glottal stop like the stop some people use to pronounce 'something' as 'sump'n'
- kh
- like 'ch' in 'loch' or 'c' in 'cat'
- l
- like 'l' in 'love'
- m
- like 'm' in 'mother'
- n
- like 'n' in 'nice'
- ng
- like 'ng' in 'long'. Never pronounced with a hard 'g'
- ngg
- like 'ng' in 'monger'. Always includes a hard 'g'
- ny
- like 'ni' in 'onion'
- p
- like 'p' in 'pig'; unaspirated (i.e., no explosive sound) at the ends of words
- q
- like 'q' in 'quest' (most commonly with 'u', and only in Arabic borrowings)
- r
- like 'r' in 'rat', but starting with the tongue just behind the upper teeth, never formed with the lips
- s
- like 'ss' in 'hiss'
- sy
- like 'sh' in 'sheep'
- t
- like 't' in 'top'; unaspirated (i.e., no explosive sound) at the ends of words
- v
- like 'ph' in 'phone' (only used in loanwords)
- w
- like 'w' in 'weight'
- x
- like 'cks' in 'kicks' (only used in loanwords)
- y
- like 'y' in 'yes'
- z
- like 's' in 'hiss', like 'z' in 'haze', like 'j' in 'jam'
Common diphthongs
- ai
- like the English word 'I' (except in Kelantan, where this diphthong is similar to 'ay' in 'day')
- au
- like 'ow' in 'cow'
- oi
- like 'oy' in 'boy'
Note: Besides the above diphthongs, when two vowels appear next to each other, they must generally be pronounced as separate syllables.
Note
In the pseudo-pronunciations below, glottal stops are shown as apostrophes, usually at the ends of words. Unaspirated consonants (always the letters T or P, usually at the ends of words) are shown in parentheses.
Phrase list
Basics
Common signs
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Tak nak?
Colloquial Malay shortens commonly used words mercilessly.
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Referring to others politely
Some people may consider all Malay terms for 'you' impolite, so in some places, the English 'you' can be used, or you can opt for an honorific:
It is also safe to call people by their age group, such as 'Pak Cik' (an older man) or 'Mak Cik' (an older woman) or by their title, such as 'Datuk' or 'Datin' for distinguished gentlemen and ladies, respectively. |
- Hello.
- Helo. (Hello)
- Hello. (informal)
- Hai. (Hi)
- Hello. (Muslim)
- Assalamu alaikum (AH-Ssal-ah-moo AAH-la-ee-koom). Note: If anyone says this to you, whether you are Muslim or not, answer 'Alaikum wassalam', thus returning the wish of peace that was bestowed upon you. Not doing so is a serious breach of etiquette.
- How are you?
- Ape khabar? (Literally: What news?) (AH-puh KAH-bar?)
- Fine.
- Khabar helok. (Literally: Good news.) (KAH-bar HEH-lo-kh)
- What is your name?
- Siape name awak? (see-AH-puh NAH-muh AH-wah'?')
- My name is ______ .
- Name saye ______ . (NAH-muh SAH-yuh _____ .)
- I am happy to meet you.
- Saye suke berjumpa awak. (SAH-yuh suh-kuh buhr-JOOM-puh AH-wah')
- Please.
- Sile. (SEE-luh) As in 'Please sit down' ('Sile dudok' [SEE-luh doo-DO'])
- Please (request, such as for someone to do something for you).
- Tolong. (TOH-long) Note: 'Tolong' literally means 'help.' It is the more common word for 'please', but has a different connotation from 'sile'.
- Thank you.
- Terime kaseh. (TREE-muh KAH-seh)
- You're welcome.
- Ok. Terime kaseh. (O-keh TREE-muh KAH-seh) (essentially "thanking back to you")
- Yes.
- Ye. (YUH)
- No.
- Tak (TAH')
- Don't (as a command or request)
- Jangan (JAH-ngahn)
- Not
- Bukan (boo-KAHN)
- Maybe
- Boleh jadi. (BO-leh JAH-dee)
- And
- Dan (dahn)
- But
- Tapi (tah-PEE) or tetapi
- Or
- Atau (ah-TAHW)
- Also
- Pulak (POO-lah')
- With
- Same (SAH-muh)
- Without
- Tanpa (TAHN-puh)
- Excuse me (begging pardon).
- Maaf. (mah'AHF)
- I'm sorry.
- Maaf ye. (mah'AHF yuh)
- Goodbye
- Jumpe lagi. (JOOm-puh LAH-gee)
- Because
- Sebab (suh-BAHB)
- Why
- Kenape (KEH-nAH-puh)
- I can't speak Malay [well].
- Saye takleh borak Melayu [helok]. (SAH-yuh Tah'leh BOH-rah' ba-HAH-suh muh-LAH-yoo HEH-loh')
- (Do you) speak English?
- (Awak boleh) borak bahase Inggeris? (BOH-ra' ba-HAH-suh ING-GEH-rees)
- Is there someone...?
- Ade sesiapa...?
- Is there someone who speaks English here?
- Ade sesiapa yang boleh cakap Bahasa Inggeris kat sini? (AH-duh suh-SYA-puh yahng BOH-leh CHAH-kah(p) ba-HAH-suh ING-grees KAH-t SEE-nee)
- Help!
- Tolong! (TOH-lohng)
- Look out!
- Awas! (AH-wahs)
- Good morning.
- Tahniah pagi. (TAH-nee-AH PAH-gee)
- Good afternoon.
- Tahniah tengah hari. (...teng-ah HAH-ree)
- Good evening.
- Tahniah petang. (...puh-TAHNG)
- Good night.
- Tahniah malam. (...MAH-lam) Usage note: 'Selamat malam' is also used when saying 'Good evening' after dark.
- Good night (to sleep)
- Tahniah tidor. (...TEE-dor)
- I don't understand.
- Saye tak faham. (SAH-yuh tah' fah-HAHM)
- Where is the toilet?
- Kat mane tandas? (KAHt-MAH-nuh TAHN-dahs).
Persons
- I/me/my
- Saya (SAH-yuh) (formal); aku (AH-koo) (familiar).
- We/us/our
- Kami (KAH-mee), Kita (KEE-tuh). Usage note: Kami is used for 'us but not you'; kita is used for 'everyone present'.
- You/your
- Anda/awak (AHN-duh / AH-wak). Usage note: Anda is more formal than awak. The most common familiar word for "you" is kamu (KAH-moo).
- He/she/it/him/his/her/its
- Dia (DEE-uh)
- They/them/their
- Mereka (muh-REH-kuh)
Problems
- Don't bother me.
- Jangan ganggu saya. (JAH-ngahn GAHN-goo SAH-yuh)
- Get lost!
- Berambus! (...)
- Don't touch me!
- Jangan jamah saya! (JAH-ngahn JAH-mah SAH-yuh)
- I'll call the police.
- Saya akan panggil polis. (SAH-yuh AH-kahn PANG-geel po-LEES)
- Police!
- Polis! (...)
- Help!
- Tolong! (TOH-lohng)
- Stop! Rapist!
- Berhenti! Perogol! (bur-HEHN-tee! puh-ROH-gohl!)
- Stop! Thief!
- Berhenti! Pencuri! (bur-HEHN-tee! pun-CHOO-ree!)
- Please help me.
- Tolonglah saya. (TOH-lohng-lah SAH-yuh)
- It's an emergency.
- Ini kecemasan. (ee-nee kuh-chuh-MAH-sahn)
- I'm lost.
- Saya tersesat. (SAH-yuh tuhr-SEH-sah(t))
- I lost my bag.
- Saya hilang beg saya. (SAH-yuh HEE-lahng BEHG SAH-yuh)
- I lost my wallet.
- Saya hilang dompet saya. (SAH-yuh HEE-lahng DOHM-peh(t) SAH-yuh)
- I'm sick.
- Saya sakit. (SAH-yuh SAH-kee(t))
- I feel dizzy.
- Saya rasa pening kepala. (SAH-yuh RAH-suh PUH-ning kuh-PAH-luh)
- I've been injured.
- Saya terluka. (SAH-yuh tuhr-LOO-kuh)
- I'm bleeding.
- Saya berdarah. (SAH-yuh bur-DAH-rah)
- I need a doctor.
- Saya perlu doktor. (SAH-yuh per-LOO DOH'-tohr)
- Can I use your phone?
- Boleh saya guna telefon anda? (BO-leh SAH-yuh GOO-nuh TEH-leh-fohn AHN-duh)
Numbers
Numbers in Malay are relatively straightforward, with the number system being largely analogous to English.
- 0
- sifar (formal)/kosong (colloquial, lit. empty)
- 1
- satu/se (as in 'satu ringgit' or 'seringgit', see below); the number by itself is 'satu', but when used in combination with any other word, 'se' is usually used as a prefix.
- 2
- dua
- 3
- tiga
- 4
- empat
- 5
- lima
- 6
- enam
- 7
- tujuh
- 8
- lapan
- 9
- sembilan
- 10
- sepuluh (see 'satu' above)
- 11
- sebelas
- 12
- dua belas
- 13
- tiga belas
- 14
- empat belas
- 20
- dua puluh
- 21
- dua puluh satu
- 22
- dua puluh dua
- 23
- dua puluh tiga
- 30
- tiga puluh
- 40
- empat puluh
- 50
- lima puluh
- 100
- seratus
- 200
- dua ratus
- 300
- tiga ratus
- 1,000
- seribu
- 1,100
- seribu seratus
- 1,152
- seribu seratus lima puluh dua
- 1,200
- seribu dua ratus
- 1,500
- seribu lima ratus
- 2,000
- dua ribu
- 2,100
- dua ribu seratus
- 10,000
- sepuluh ribu
- 20,000
- dua puluh ribu
- 100,000
- seratus ribu
- 150,000
- seratus lima puluh ribu
- 156,125
- seratus lima puluh enam ribu seratus dua puluh lima
- 250,000
- dua ratus lima puluh ribu / Suku juta (quarter of a million)
- 500,000
- lima ratus ribu / setengah juta (half a million)
- 1,000,000
- sejuta
- 1,150,000
- sejuta seratus lima puluh ribu
- 1,250,000
- sejuta dua ratus lima puluh ribu
- 1,500,000
- sejuta lima ratus ribu
- 1,750,000
- sejuta tujuh ratus lima puluh ribu
- 2,000,000
- dua juta
- 100,000,000
- seratus juta
- 1,000,000,000
- satu bilion
- 1,000,000,000,000
- satu trilion
- number _____ (train, bus, etc.)
- (keretapi, bas) nombor _____ (...)
- half
- setengah (...)
- quarter
- suku (...)
- third
- pertiga (...)
- three quarter
- tiga suku (...)
- less
- kurang (...)
- more
- lebih (...)
- roughly (more or less)
- lebih kurang
Time
- now
- sekarang (...)
- later
- nanti (...)
- before
- sebelum (...)
- after
- selepas (...)
- already
- sudah (SOO-dah) or dah
- not yet
- belum (buh-LEUHM). The 'u' is like the 'oo' in 'foot'
- morning
- pagi (0.00 – 10.30) (...)
- midday
- tengah hari (10.30 – 15.00) (...)
- afternoon
- petang (15.00 – 19.00) (...)
- night
- malam (19.00 – 0.00) (...)
- dawn
- subuh / fajar (4.00 - 6.00) (...)
- dusk
- maghrib / senja (18.00 - 19.00)
Clock time
- one o'clock AM
- pukul satu pagi (...)
- two o'clock AM
- pukul dua pagi (...)
- noon
- tengah hari (...)
- one o'clock PM
- pukul satu petang (...)
- two o'clock PM
- pukul dua petang (...)
- midnight
- tengah malam (...)
Duration
- _____ second(s)
- _____ saat (SAH'ah(t))
- _____ minute(s)
- _____ minit (MI-ni(t))
- _____ hour(s)
- _____ jam (jahm)
- _____ day(s)
- _____ hari (HAH-ree)
- _____ week(s)
- _____ minggu (MEENG-goo)
- _____ month(s)
- _____ bulan (BOO-lahn)
- _____ year(s)
- _____ tahun (tah-HOON)
- _____ hour(s) and _____ minute(s)
- If the minute is in numbers, _____jam _____ minit. If the minute is expressed as a fraction of the hour, e.g two and a half hours: dua jam setengah. (NOT dua setengah jam)
Days
- today
- hari ini (HAH-ree EE-nee)
- yesterday
- semalam (suh-MAH-lahm) (in Peninsular Malaysia); kelmarin (kuh-MAR-reen) (in Borneo and traditionally in parts of the East Coast of the Peninsula)
- the day before yesterday
- kelmarin or kelmarin dulu
- tomorrow
- besok (bay-SOH') or esok
- the day after tomorrow
- lusa (LOO-suh)
- three days after today
- tulat (...)
- this week
- minggu ini (MEENG-goo EE-nee)
- last week
- minggu lepas (MEENG-goo luh-PAHS)
- next week
- minggu depan (MEENG-goo duh-PAHN)
Days of the week
The week starts on Sunday in Malaysia, with weekends on Friday and Saturday. At least traditionally, Malays consider the night after a day to be the night of the next day, so what we call Monday night in English is called "malam Selasa". In addition to the names borrowed from Arabic that are in use and given below, you may hear people sometimes using their Malay equivalents, "Hari Satu" (Day One), "Hari Dua" (Day Two) and so forth.
- Sunday
- Ahad (AH-hahd)
- Monday
- Isnin (EES-neen)
- Tuesday
- Selasa (SLAH-suh)
- Wednesday
- Rabu (RAH-boo)
- Thursday
- Khamis (KAH-mees)
- Friday
- Jumaat (joom-MAH-ah(t))
- Saturday
- Sabtu (SAHB-too)
Months
- January
- Januari (...)
- February
- Februari (...)
- March
- Mac (MAHCH)
- April
- April (...)
- May
- Mei (...)
- June
- Jun (JOON)
- July
- Julai (JOOL-ly)
- August
- Ogos (OH-gohs)
- September
- September (...)
- October
- Oktober (...)
- November
- November (...)
- December
- Disember (dee-SEM-burr)
Writing time and date
Writing time
- 1.00
- pukul satu (POO-kool SAH-too)
- 1.01
- pukul satu, satu minit
- 1.15
- pukul satu suku
- 1.20
- pukul satu dua puluh
- 1.30
- pukul satu setengah (POO-kool SAH-too suh-TEH-ngah)
- 1.40
- pukul satu empat puluh
- 1.45
- pukul satu empat puluh lima
- The hours are written from zero to 12. So 06.00 PM is written as 6.00PM or 6.00 petang.
Date
First one should write the day, after that the month and then the year. (format: dd MM yyyy)
- 17 August 1945
- 17 Ogos 1945
Colours
- black
- hitam (HEE-tahm)
- white
- putih (POO-teh)
- grey
- kelabu (kuh-LAH-boo)
- red
- merah (MAY-ruh)
- blue
- biru (BEE-roo)
- yellow
- kuning (KOO-neeng)
- green
- hijau (HEE-jow)
- orange
- jingga/oren (JING-guh/OH-ren)
- purple
- ungu (OONG-oo)
- light brown
- perang (PAY-rahng)
- dark brown
- coklat (CHOCK-ah-la(t))
Transportation
Bus and train
- How much is a ticket to _____?
- Berapa harga tiket ke _____? (buh-RAH-puh HAHR-guh TEE-ke(t) kuh _____)
- I want to buy one ticket to _____.
- Saya nak beli satu tiket ke _____. (SAH-yuh nah' blee SAH-too TEE-ke(t) kuh _____)
- Where does this train/bus go?
- Tren/bas ini pergi ke mana? (tren/bahs EE-nee puhr-GEE kuh-MAH-nuh)
- Where is the train/bus to _____?
- Di mana tren/bas ke _____? (...)
- Does this train/bus stop in _____?
- Tren/bas ini berhenti di _____? (tren/bahs EE-nee buhr-HEN-tee dee ______)
- What time does the train/bus leave for _____?
- Bilakah tren/bas pergi ke _____? (...)
- When will this train/bus arrive in _____?
- Bilakah tren/bas ini sampai di _____? (...)
Directions
- Here
- Sini, di sini (SEE-nee, dee SEE-nee)
- There (for example, across the room or across the street)
- Situ, di situ (SEE-too, dee SEE-too)
- Over there, yonder (for example, 50 miles away)
- Sana, di sana (SAH-nuh, dee SAH-nuh)
- To here
- Ke sini (kuh SEE-nee)
- To there
- Ke sana
- How do I get to _____ ?
- Bagaimana saya dapat pergi ke _____ ? (...)
- ...the train station?
- ...stesen keretapi? (STEH-shen kuh-reh-TAH-pee)
- ...the bus station?
- ...terminal/stesen bas? (...)
- ...the airport?
- ...lapangan terbang? (LAH-pah-ngahn TUHR-bahng)
- ...downtown?
- ...kota/pekan? (...)
- ...the _____ hotel?
- ... hotel _____ ? (...)
- ...the American/Canadian/Australian/British embassy/consulate?
- ... Kedutaan / Konsulat Amerika Syarikat/ Australia / British / Kanada? (kuh-DOO-tuh-ahn)
- Where are there a lot of...
- Di mana ada banyak... (...)
- ...hotels?
- ...hotel? (...)
- ...restaurants?
- ...restoran? (...)
- ...bars?
- ...bar? (...)
- ...sites to see?
- ...tempat menarik? (...)
- Please show me on the map.
- Tolong tunjukkan pada peta. (TOH-lohng TOON-joo'-kahn pah-duh PUH-tuh)
- street
- jalan (...)
- Turn left.
- Pusing kiri. (POO-sing KEE-ree) / Belok kiri. (BEH-lo' KEE-ree)
- Turn right.
- Pusing kanan. (POO-sing KAH-nahn) / Belok kanan. (BEH-lo' KAH-nahn)
- left
- kiri (...)
- right
- kanan (...)
- front
- hadapan
- back
- belakang
- straight ahead
- terus (tuh-ROOS)
- towards the _____
- menuju _____ (muh-NOO-joo)
- past the _____
- melepasi _____ (...)
- before the _____
- sebelum _____ (suh-BLOOM)
- Watch for the _____.
- Perhatikan _____. (...)
- intersection
- persilangan (...)
- north
- utara (oo-TAH-ruh)
- south
- selatan (suh-LAH-tahn)
- east
- timur (TEE-mohr)
- west
- barat (BAH-rah(t))
- north-east
- timur laut (TEE-mohr LA-u(t))
- north-west
- barat laut (BAH-raht LA-u(t))
- south-east
- tenggara (tuhng-GAH-rah)
- south-west
- barat daya (BAH-raht DA-yuh)
Taxi
- Taxi!
- Teksi! (TEH'-see)
- I want to go to _____.
- Saya nak/mahu pergi ke _____. (...)
- How much does it cost to get to _____?
- Berapa harganya ke _____? (...)
- Take me there, please.
- Tolong hantar saya ke sana. (...)
Lodging
- Do you have any rooms available?
- Ada bilik kosong? (AH-duh BEE-leh' KOH-sohng?)
- How much is a room for one person/two people?
- Berapa harga bilik untuk seorang/dua orang? (buh-RAH-puh HAHR-guh BEE-leh' oon-TUH' suh-OH-rahng/DOO-uh OH-rahng)
- Does the room come with...
- Adakah ini termasuk... (...)
- ...bedsheets?
- ...alas/sarong tilam? (...)
- ...a bathroom?
- ...bilik mandi? (...)
- ...a telephone?
- ...telefon? (...)
- ...a TV?
- ...TV? (tee-VEE)/ ...televisyen?
- May I see the room first?
- Boleh lihat bilik dulu? (...)
- Do you have anything quieter?
- Ada yang lebih sunyi? (...)
- Do you have a room which is...
- Ada bilik yang... (...)
- ...bigger?
- ... lebih besar? (leh-beh buh-SAHR)
- ...cleaner?
- ...lebih bersih? (bur-SEH)
- ...cheaper?
- ...lebih murah? (MOO-rah)
- All right. I will stay for _____ night(s).
- Baiklah. Saya akan tinggal untuk _____ malam. (BUY'-lah. SAH-yuh AH-kahn TING-gahl oon-tuh'_____ MAH-lahm)
- Can you suggest another hotel?
- Boleh cadangkan hotel lain? (...)
- Do you have a safe?
- Awak/anda ada peti besi? (...)
- Do you have lockers?
- Awak/anda ada peti berkunci? (...)
- Is breakfast/supper included?
- Sudah termasuk sarapan/makan malam? (...)
- What time is breakfast/supper (dinner)?
- Pukul berapa waktu sarapan/makan malam? (...)
- Please clean my room.
- Tolong bersihkan bilik saya. (...)
- Can you wake me at _____?
- Boleh tolong bangunkan saya pada pukul _____? (...)
- I want to check out.
- Saya nak/mahu daftar keluar. (...)
Money
- Do you accept American/Australian/Canadian dollars here?
- Adakah anda menerima dolar Amerika / Australia / Kanada di sini? (...)
- Do you accept British pounds?
- Adakah anda menerima paun British? (...)
- Do you accept euros?
- Adakah anda menerima euro? (...)
- Can I use a credit card?
- Boleh saya guna kad kredit? (...)
- Can I change money?
- Boleh saya tukar wang? (...)
- Where can I get money changed?
- Di mana boleh saya tukar wang? (...)
- Can you change a traveler's check for me?
- Boleh anda tukar cek kembara untuk saya? (...)
- Where can I get a traveler's check changed?
- Di mana boleh saya tukar cek kembara? (...)
- What is the exchange rate?
- Apa kadar tukaran wang? (...)
- Where is an automatic teller machine (ATM)?
- Di mana ada ATM? (dee MAH-nuh AH-duh EY-TEE-EM)
Eating
- eat
- makan (MAH-kahn)
- sweet
- manis (mah-NEES)
- sour
- masam (MAH-sahm)
- bitter
- pahit (pah-HEE(T))
- salty
- masin (MAH-seen) or asin
- spicy
- pedas (puh-DAHS)
- bland/tasteless
- tawar (TAH-wahr)
- hot (temperature)
- panas (pah-NAHS)
- cold
- sejuk (suh-JO')
- Please give me a table for one person/two people.
- Tolong beri saya satu meja untuk seorang/dua orang. (TOH-lohng buh-REE SAH-yuh SAH-too MEH-juh oon-TO' suh-OH-rahng/DOO-uh OH-rahng)
- May I look at the menu?
- Boleh saya lihat menu? (boh-leh SAH-yuh LEE-hah(t) MEH-noo)
- Is there a house specialty?
- Ada makanan istimewa di sini? (AH-duh mah-KAH-nahn ees-tee-MEH-wuh dee SEE-nee)
- Is there a local specialty?
- Ada makanan tempatan khas? (...)
- I'm a vegetarian.
- Saya seorang vegetarian/saya tidak makan daging (literally "I do not eat meat"). (...)
- I don't eat meat, chicken or seafood.
- Saya tidak makan daging, ayam atau makanan laut. (SAH-yuh TEE-dah' MAH-kahn DAH-ging, AH-yahm ah-tahw mah-KAH-nahn LOU(T))
- I don't eat pork.
- Saya tidak makan babi. (BAH-bee)
- I don't eat beef.
- Saya tidak makan daging lembu. (DAH-ging LUHM-boo)
- Can you make it 'light', please? (=less oil/butter)
- Boleh kurangkan minyak / mentega? (...)
- I want _____.
- Saya nak _____. (SAH-yuh NAH')
- I want a dish containing _____.
- Saya nak makanan yang mengandungi _____. (...)
- I am allergic to _____.
- Saya alah kepada ________.
- chicken
- ayam (AH-yahm)
- meat
- daging (DAH-ging)
- beef
- daging lembu (...LUHM-boo)
- pork
- daging babi (...BAH-bee)
- goat
- kambing (KAHM-bing)
- fish
- ikan (EE-kahn)
- shrimp/prawn
- udang (OO-dahng)
- crab
- ketam (keh-TAHM)
- squid
- sotong (SOH-tohng)
- cuttlefish
- sotong katak (SOH-tohng KAH-tah')
- ham
- ham (...)
- sausage
- sosej (...)
- cheese
- keju (KAY-joo)
- eggs
- telur (TEH-loor)
- salad
- salad (...)
- (fresh) vegetables
- sayur (SAH-yohr) (Note: On the East Coast of the Peninsula, sayur is a specific kind of dish, not just a generic word.)
- cucumber
- timun (TEE-moon)
- water spinach (a common green, leafy vegetable)
- kangkung (kahng-KOHNG)
- amaranth/spinach
- bayam (BAH-yahm)
- squash
- labu (LAH-boo)
- bean
- kacang (KAH-chahng)
- long bean
- kacang panjang (...pahn-JAHNG)
- potato
- ubi kentang (OO-bee KUHN-tahng)
- cassava
- ubi kayu (...KAH-yoo)
- purple yam
- ubi keladi (...kuh-LAH-dee)
- sweet potato
- ubi keledek (...kuh-LEH-deh')
- onion
- bawang besar (BAH-wahng bih-SAHR)
- garlic
- bawang putih (...POO-teh)
- shallot
- bawang merah (...MEH-rah)
- (fresh) fruit
- buah (BOO-ah)
Note: Fruits are often called 'buah' and then the name.
- banana
- pisang (PEE-sahng)
- watermelon
- tembikai or timun cina (TUHM-bee-KYE/TEE-moon CHEE-nuh)
- mango
- mangga/kuini/pauh - 3 varieties in descending order of deliciousness per local opinion (MAHNG-guh/KWEE-nee/POWH)
- jackfruit
- nangka/cempedak - 2 different varieties; nangka is the standard one and cempedak is stronger-tasting and not as sweet (NAHNG-kuh/CHUHM-puh-dah')
- pineapple
- nanas (NAH-nahs)
- guava
- jambu (JAHM-boo)
- mangosteen
- manggis (MAHNG-geese)
- lime
- limau (LEE-mahw)
- starfruit/carambola
- belimbing (buh-LIM-bing)
Rambutan and durian, also English words, are the Malay names for those fruits.
- coconut
- kelapa/nyior (kuh-LAH-puh/NYOR)
- peanut
- kacang tanah
- seed
- biji
- bread
- roti (ROH-tee)
- toast
- roti bakar (literally, "burnt/charred bread") (...BAH-kahr)
- rice
- nasi (=cooked rice)/beras (=raw rice) (NAH-see/buh-RAHS)
- noodle(s)
- mi (just like the English word 'me')
- May I have some _____?
- Boleh saya dapatkan _____? (...)
- Can you please add ____?
- Boleh anda tambah _____?
- salt
- garam (GAH-rahm)
- sugar
- gula (GOO-luh)
- black pepper
- lada hitam (LAH-duh HEE-tahm)
- chili pepper
- lada
- fresh chili pepper
- lada hidup
- dried chili pepper
- lada kering
- cinnamon
- kayu manis (KAH-yoo mah-NEES)
- cloves
- bunga cengkeh (BOO-nguh CHENG-keh) or cengkeh
- nutmeg
- buah pala (BOO-ah PAH-luh)
- turmeric
- kunyit (KOON-yi(t))
- shrimp paste
- belacan (buh-LAH-chahn)
- fish sauce
- budu (BOO-doo)
- soy sauce
- kicap (KEE-chah(p))
- butter
- mentega (muhn-TEY-gah)
- oil
- minyak (MEAN-yah')
- curry
- gulai (GOO-lye)
- sour, with a tamarind base
- asam (AH-sahm)
- fry/fried
- goreng (GO-rehng)
- roast(ed)
- panggang (PAHNG-gahng or pahng-GAHNG)
- bake(d), char(red) over a wood fire
- bakar (BAH-kahr)
- boil(ed)
- rebus (reh-BOOS)
- dry/dried
- kering (kring)
- sauce, gravy
- kuah (KOO-ah)
- Excuse me, waiter? (getting attention of server)
- Encik! (male) Cik! (female) Mek! (young female in Kelantan and Terengganu) (...)
- I'm finished (eating).
- Saya sudah habis (makan). (hah-BEES)
- I'm full.
- Saya kenyang. (SAH-yuh KUH-nyahng)
- It is/was delicious.
- Sedaplah. (suh-DAH(P)-lah)
- I liked it very much
- Saya suka sangat. (SAH-yuh SOO-kuh sah-NGAH(T))
- It's too bitter.
- Terlalu pahit. (tuhr-LAH-loo pah-HEE(T))
- It's too spicy.
- Terlalu pedas. (puh-DAHS)
- It's too hot (in temperature).
- Terlalu panas. (pah-NAHS)
- What did you put?
- Apa yang awak letak?
- There's a fly in my soup.
- Ada lalat dalam sup saya. (ah-duh LAH-lah(t) dah-lahm SOO(P) SAH-yuh)
- That's enough.
- Cukuplah. (choo-KOO(P)-lah)
- I want a refund.
- Saya mahu ganti rugi.
- Please clear the plates.
- Tolong ambil pinggan. (...)
- Please clean the table
- Tolong bersihkan meja (...)
- When will my order be ready?
- Bilakah pesanan saya akan sedia?
- I would like to take away (literally, package) the food.
- Saya nak bungkuskan makanan. (BOONG-koos-kahn mah-KAHN-ahn)
- The check/bill, please.
- Boleh saya dapatkan bil sekarang? (...)
- I don't have change.
- Saya tak ada duit kecil. (DOO-i(t) kuh-CHEEL)
- Can I pay by credit card?
- Boleh saya bayar dengan kad kredit? (BOH-leh SAH-yuh bah-YAHR DUH-ngahn kahd KRE-dee(t))
Drinking
- drink
- minum (MEE-noom)
- I want a glass of _____.
- Saya nak/mahu segelas _____. (...)
- I want a cup of _____.
- Saya nak/mahu secawan_____. (...)
- I want a bottle of _____.
- Saya nak sebotol _____. (...)
- water
- air (Just like the English word 'I')
- coffee
- kopi (...)
- tea (drink)
- teh (...)
- milk
- susu (SOO-soo)
- juice
- jus (...), or use 'air', the Malay word for 'water', plus the name of the fruit (e.g., 'air oren' is orange juice)
- soft drink
- minuman ringan (...) (or use brand name instead, eg Coke/Sprite)
- beer
- bir (...)
- hard liquor
- arak (AH-rah')
- red/white wine
- wain merah/ putih (...)
- Is there alcohol here, (too)?
- Ada alkohol di sini (juga)? (AH-duh AHL-ko-hohl dee-SEE-nee JOO-guh)
- A beer/two beers, please.
- Tolong berikan satu/dua bir. (...)
- A glass of red/white wine, please.
- Tolong berikan satu gelas wain merah/putih. (...)
- A bottle, please.
- Tolong berikan sebotol. (...)
- _____ (hard liquor) and _____ (mixer), please.
- _____ and _____, please. (...)
- whisky
- wiski (...)
- vodka
- vodka (...)
- rum
- ram ('a' as in 'father') (...)
- club soda
- club soda (...)
- tonic water
- air tonik (...)
- orange juice
- jus oren (...)
- Coke (soda)
- Coca-cola (...)
- Do you have any bar snacks?
- Ada makanan ringan? (...)
- I want another one.
- Saya nak/mahu satu lagi. (...)
- When is closing time?
- Tutup pukul berapa? (too-TOO(P) poo-kool buh-RAH-puh)
Shopping
- Sell
- Jual (JOO-ahl)
- Buy
- Beli (BLEE)
- Do you have this in my size?
- Ada ini dalam saiz saya? (AH-duh EE-nee DAH-lahm size SAH-yuh)
- How much is this?
- Berapa harga ini? (buh-RAH-puh HAHR-guh EE-nee)
- Is this pirated?
- Ini bahan ciplak?
- May I pay _____?
- Boleh saya bayar _____? (boh-leh BAH-yahr)
- (too) expensive
- (terlalu) mahal (mah-HAHL)
- cheap
- murah (MOO-rah)
- I don't want it.
- Tak nak. (informal) / Saya tidak mahukannya. (formal) (TAH' NAH')
- You're cheating me.
- Awak tipu saya? (...)
- Don't lie.
- Jangan bohong. Note: Accusing someone of cheating or lying is very serious and shouldn't be done unless you have strong reasons to believe they are being dishonest, not just bargaining well. Deprecating the quality of an item is more acceptable as part of the bargaining process.
- Don't even think about it.
- Jangan harap.
- Can you lower the price?
- Boleh kurangkan harganya? (boh-LEH KOO-rahng-kahn HAHR-guh-nyuh)
- The quality is not good.
- Kualitinya tidak baik. (KWAH-lee-tee-nyuh TEE-dah' BUY')
- I don't want that.
- Saya tak nak itu. (SAH-yuh tah' nah' EE-too)
- OK, I'll buy it.
- Baiklah, saya beli. (BUY'-lah, SAH-yuh buh-LEE)
- Can I have a plastic bag?
- Ada beg plastik? (AH-duh behg PLAHS-tee')
- It's cheaper over there.
- Di sana lebih murah. (dee SAH-nuh leh-beh MOO-rah)
- Do you ship (overseas)?
- Boleh hantar (ke luar negeri)? (boh-leh HAHN-tahr [kuh loo-ahr NEH-gree])
- I need...
- Saya perlu... (SAH-yuh puhr-LOO)
- ...toothpaste.
- ...ubat gigi. (OH-baht GEE-gee)
- ...a toothbrush.
- ...berus gigi. (broos GEE-gee)
- ...condoms.
- ...kondom. (...)
- ...tampons.
- ...softeks / tuala wanita (literally "women's towel"). (...)
- ...soap.
- ...sabun. (SAH-bohn)
- ...shampoo.
- ...syampu. (...)
- ...pain reliever. (e.g., aspirin or ibuprofen)
- ...ubat sakit (aspirin, panadol, ...) (Note: ibuprofen and aspirin is not widely available. The usual pain killer is paracetamol, widely known by the brand name "panadol"). (...)
- ...cold medicine.
- ...ubat selsema. (...)
- ...stomach medicine.
- ...ubat sakit perut. (oh-baht sah-kee(t) puh-ROO(T))
- ...a razor.
- ...pencukur / pisau cukur. (...)
- ...an umbrella.
- ...payung. (PAH-young)
- ...sunscreen.
- ...pelindung cahaya matahari. / ...pelindung kulit (literally "skin protector")
- ...a postcard.
- ...poskad. (...)
- ...postage stamps.
- ...setem. (STEHM)
- ...batteries.
- ...bateri. (BAH-tuh-ree)
- ...(writing) paper.
- ...kertas (tulis). (KUHR-tahs)
- ...a pen.
- ... pen. (...)
- ...English-language books.
- ...buku dalam Bahasa Inggeris. (boo-koo dah-lahm bah-hah-suh EENG-grees)
- ...English-language magazines.
- ...majalah dalam Bahasa Inggeris. (mah-JAH-lah...)
- ...an English-language newspaper.
- ...surat khabar dalam Bahasa Inggeris. (soo-raht KAH-bahr...)
- ...an English-Malay dictionary.
- ...kamus Inggeris-Melayu. (KAH-moos eeng-grees muh-LAH-yoo)
Driving
What's that sign?
|
- I want to rent a car.
- Saya nak/mahu sewa kereta. (SAH-yuh NAH' SEH-wuh kuh-REH-tuh)
- Can I get insurance?
- Boleh saya dapatkan insurans? (BOH-leh SAH-yuh DA-pat-KAN in-SOO-rahns)
- stop (on a street sign)
- berhenti (buhr-HEHN-tee)
- no parking
- dilarang meletak kereta (dee-LAH-rahng muh-leh-tah' kuh-REH-tuh)
- gas (petrol) station
- stesen minyak (...)
- petrol
- petrol (...)
- diesel
- diesel (...)
Authority
- I haven't done anything wrong.
- Saya tidak buat sebarang salah. (SAH-yuh TEE-dah' BWAH(T) suh-BAH-rahng SAH-lah)
- It's not my fault.
- Ini bukan salah saya. (EE-nee boo-KAHN SAH-lah SAH-yuh)
- What's happening?
- Apa yang berlaku?
- This was a misunderstanding.
- Ini salah faham. (EE-nee SAH-lah fah-HAHM)
- This is not fair.
- Ini tidak adil. (ee-nee TEE-dah' AH-deel)
- Have pity on me.
- Kasihanlah saya (kuh-SEE-hahn-lah SAH-yuh)
- What are you doing?
- Apa yang awak buat? (AH-puh yahng AH-wah' BWA(T))
- Officer (when talking to a police officer)
- Tuan (=Sir) / Puan (=Ma'am) (TOO-ahn, POO-ahn)
- Where are you taking me?
- Ke mana tuan/puan bawa saya ? (kuh-MAH-nuh TOO-ahn/POO-ahn BAH-wuh SAH-yuh)
- Am I under arrest?
- Saya ditahan kah? (SAH-yuh dee-TAH-hahn kah)
- I am an American/Australian/British/Canadian citizen.
- Saya warganegara/rakyat (literally "people of") Amerika /Australia / Inggeris / Kanada. (SAH-yuh WAHR-guh-neh-GAH-ruh...)
- Can I make a telephone call?
- Boleh saya buat panggilan telefon?
- I want to talk to the American/Australian/British/Canadian embassy/consulate.
- Saya nak/mahu cakap dengan Kedutaan/Konsulat Amerika / Australia / British / Kanada. (SAH-yuh nah' CHAH-kah(p) DUH-ngahn kuh-DOO-tuh'-ahn/KOHN-soo-lah(t)...)
- I want to talk to a lawyer.
- Saya nak/mahu cakap dengan peguam. (SAH-yuh nah' CHAH-kah(p) DUH-ngahn PUH-gwahm)
- Can I just pay a fine here?
- Bolehkah saya membayar denda di sini saja? (boh-leh-kah SAH-yuh muhm-BAH-yahr DEHN-duh dee SEE-nee SAH-juh)