Malay (Bahasa Melayu, officially called Bahasa Malaysia in Malaysia) is the sole official language of Malaysia and Brunei, and one of the four official languages in Singapore, the de facto language of Cocos (Keeling) Islands in Australia, and is well used in Christmas Island. Standard Malay (bahasa baku, which literally means "standard language", and formally called Bahasa Melayu Baku) is closely related to Indonesian, and speakers of both standards can generally understand each other. The main differences are in the loan words: Malay was more influenced by English, while Indonesian was more influenced by Dutch. Both languages contain numerous loan words from Sanskrit and other Indian languages, Arabic, Persian and various Chinese dialects.

However, beware of false friends if you speak Indonesian, as some words have very different meanings. Examples include budak, which means 'child' in Malay but 'slave' in Indonesian, bisa, which means 'poison' in Malay and 'can'/'able' in Indonesian, pusing, which means 'turn' in Malay but 'headache' in Indonesian (in Malay, 'pusing kepala' means dizziness, because your head [kepala] is turning, so to speak) and butuh, which means 'need' in Indonesian, but is a vulgar slang for male genitalia in Malay.

Tagalog, the main language of the Philippines, is closely related to Malay, and while the two languages are not mutually intelligible, you will notice many cognates. There are also numerous false friends between Malay and Tagalog, such as Tagalog salamat (thank you) vs Malay selamat (safe; often used in greetings such as selamat pagi for "good morning" or selamat datang for "welcome"), Tagalog kiri (flirt) vs Malay kiri (left), Tagalog suka (vinegar) vs Malay suka (like [verb]) and Tagalog ulam (main dishes) vs Malay ulam (salad of leaves with shrimp paste and chili).

Some parts of Malaysia, especially Terengganu and Kelantan, as well as Southern Thailand, have dialects of Malay that are difficult for speakers of standard Malay to understand, though all locals in Malaysia are taught standard Malay in school. There is also a unique Malay-based creole known as Baba Malay that is spoken by the Peranakan (mixed Chinese and Malay) community in Malacca, which incorporates many loan words from Hokkien.

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: saya makan, 'I eat' (now), saya sudah makan, 'I already eat' = 'I ate', saya akan makan = 'I will 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), kereta saya (my car), rumah kami (our [not including your] house), gunung tinggi (high mountain), bukit kecil (small hill), pisang goreng (fried banana). Ini buku means 'This is a book', saya kerata means 'I am a car', and goreng pisang refers to the act of frying a banana, 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 King of England is reading this.

Writing

Malay can be written using two scripts: the Roman alphabet, known as Rumi, and an Arabic-derived script known as Jawi. Today, Rumi is the more commonly used script, and is the official Malay script used in Singapore and Malaysia. In Brunei, Rumi and Jawi are co-official, though with the exception of religious publications, Rumi is by far the more commonly used script in daily life. In Malaysia, Jawi is still used in Islamic religious publications and in the state of Kelantan, which has been ruled by PAS (the Islamic Party of Malaysia) for decades, but visitors can get by with Rumi everywhere in the country. In southern Thailand, the local dialect of Malay is written exclusively in Jawi, and Rumi is nearly unknown.

Pronunciation guide

Malay is very easy to pronounce: it has one of the most phonetic writing systems in the world, with only a 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. (If you have plans to visit Kelantan, note that Kelantanese varies considerably in pronunciation and somewhat in vocabulary from standard Malay, but though the local dialect is widely used and promoted in the state, standard Malay is generally well understood there. Some basics of Kelantanese pronunciation have been given below, just in case you meet someone with a strong accent while visiting that state, but you should continue to emulate a standard accent when speaking there, as imitating the Kelantanese accent would come across as disrespectful. The Malay dialect spoken by Muslims in Southern Thailand, Yawi, is so similar to Kelantanese that all pronunciation advice related to Kelantanese also applies to Yawi, and Southern Thai Muslims may prefer for you to try to speak with their accent.)

Vowels

a

like 'a' in 'father', except at the end of multi-syllabic words, where it's a schwa in Singapore and most parts of Peninsular Malaysia other than Kedah and Kelantan (e.g., nama, the word for 'name', has an 'a' as in 'father' in the first syllable and a schwa in the second). In Kedah and East Malaysia, the final 'a' is also 'a' as in 'father', whereas in Kelantanese dialect, it's like the sound of 'o' as described below.

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

Note: In Kelantanese dialect, 'ang', 'an' and 'am' at the ends of words are all pronounced like 'ay' as in 'day', but with no 'y' consonant. So, for example, the word 'jangan' ('don't') becomes more or less 'jah-NGEH'. Also, 'ah' at the ends of words is pronounced 'oh' and 'ak' as 'ok' (the 'o' vowel plus a glottal stop) in Kelantanese and traditionally in Terengganu dialect as well.

Consonants

b

like 'b' in 'bed'

c

like 'ch' in 'China'

ch

old spelling of c

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 BUKA Open TUTUP Closed MASUK Entrance KELUAR Exit TOLAK Push TARIK Pull TANDAS Toilet LELAKI Men WANITA or PEREMPUAN Women DILARANG MASUK No Entry

Tak nak? Colloquial Malay shortens commonly used words mercilessly. sudah → dah already tidak → tak no hendak → nak want sedikit → sikit a little tidak ada → takde to not have OR there isn't any aku → ku I (familiar) (the word 'aku' is used only to address familiars like siblings or close friends. Don't use this word when you are with elders.) kamu → mu you (familiar) -ku and -mu also act as suffixes: keretaku is short for kereta aku, 'my car'. engkau → kau you (usually only for addressing God or possibly someone that you are close to like siblings or close friends in some areas)

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: Encik (male) / Puan/Cik (female) adults. Defaulting to this is usually safe. Abang/Bang (male) / Kakak/Kak (female) literally older brother/sister. slightly older people, but still in the same age group, E.g. school seniors Adik/Dik literally younger brother/sister. younger people. Bos literally boss. can be used to address a shopkeeper Kawan literally friend. can be used to address anyone of similar age in an informal setting 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?

Apa khabar? (Literally: What news?) (AH-puh KAH-bar?)

Fine.

Khabar baik. (Literally: Good news.) (KAH-bar BUY'.)

What is your name?

Siapa nama awak? (see-AH-puh NAH-muh AH-wah'?')

My name is ______ .

Nama saya ______ . (NAH-muh SAH-yuh _____ .)

I am happy to meet you.

Saya gembira berjumpa awak. (SAH-yuh gum-BEER-uh buhr-JOOM-puh AH-wah')

Please.

Sila. (SEE-luh) As in 'Please sit down' ('Sila duduk' [SEE-luh doo-DOO'])

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 'sila'.

Thank you.

Terima kasih. (TREE-muh KAH-seh)

You're welcome.

Sama-sama. (SAH-muh SAH-muh) (essentially "the same to you")

Yes.

Ya. (YUH)

No.

Tidak. (TEE-dah') or 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

Juga (JOO-guh)

With

Dengan (DUH-ngahn)

Without

Tanpa (TAHN-puh)

Excuse me (begging pardon).

Maaf. (mah'AHF)

I'm sorry.

Maafkan saya. (mah'AHF-kahn SAH-yuh)

Goodbye

Selamat tinggal. (SLAH-mah(t) ting-GAHL), Selamat jalan (SLAH-mah(t) JAH-lahn) Usage note: 'Selamat tinggal' means 'Safe stay', while 'Selamat jalan' means 'Safe trip', so whoever is leaving uses the former expression and whoever is staying uses the latter expression.

Because

Sebab (suh-BAHB)

Why

Mengapa (muhng-AH-puh) or sebab apa

I can't speak Malay [well].

Saya tidak boleh cakap Bahasa Malaysia/Bahasa Melayu [baik]. (SAH-yuh TEE-dah' bo-leh CHAH-kah(p) ba-HAH-suh muh-LAY-shuh (muh-LAH-yoo) [BUY'])

(Do you) speak English?

(Anda boleh) cakap Bahasa Inggeris? (CHAH-kah(p) ba-HAH-suh ING-grees)

Is there someone...?

Ada sesiapa...?

Is there someone who speaks English here?

Ada sesiapa yang boleh cakap Bahasa Inggeris di sini? (AH-duh suh-SYA-puh yahng BOH-leh CHAH-kah(p) ba-HAH-suh ING-grees dee-SEE-nee)

Help!

Tolong! (TOH-lohng)

Look out!

Awas! (AH-wahs)

Good morning.

Selamat pagi. (SLAH-mah(t) PAH-gee)

Good afternoon.

Selamat tengah hari. (...teng-ah HAH-ree)

Good evening.

Selamat petang. (...puh-TAHNG)

Good night.

Selamat malam. (...MAH-lam) Usage note: 'Selamat malam' is also used when saying 'Good evening' after dark.

Good night (to sleep)

Selamat tidur. (...TEE-dor)

I don't understand.

Saya tak faham. (SAH-yuh tah' fah-HAHM)

Where is the toilet?

Di mana tandas? (dee-MAH-nuh TAHN-dahs); on the East Coast of the Peninsula (e.g., Kelantan, Terengganu): Di mana jamban? (...JAHM-bahn). On the East Coast, 'tandas' is considered stilted, but do not use 'jamban' on the West Coast, where it's considered crude.

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

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? Jalan/Jalan Raya — Road (JAH-lahn) Laman/Lorong — Small Road/Lane Lebuh Raya — Highway (LEH-boh RAH-yuh) Persiaran — Avenue Bulatan — Roundabout (BOO-lah-tahn) Jambatan — Bridge (JAHM-bah-tahn) Jejambat — Flyover Persilangan — Interchange Jalan Sehala — One-Way Street (...suh-HAH-luh)

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)