Malay phrasebook

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, Tamil, Arabic, Persian, Portuguese 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 or pusing, which means 'turn' in Malay but 'headache' in Indonesian. See Indonesian phrasebook#Differences with Malay for examples of common false friends and vocabulary differences.

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

At its core, Malay grammar is very simple. Verbs do not conjugate, while nouns and adjectives do not decline. For plurals, you can double the word (e.g. anak (child) becomes anak-anak (children)), but this is not necessary unless you want to emphasise the plural state, and is not done if you have already specified the quantity. For instance, if you want to say "He has three children.", the corresponding Malay sentence will be "Dia ada tiga anak.".

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 most 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, East Malaysia and Brunei, 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'. The "ir" final is also pronounced like "eh" in southern Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore.
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. Also becomes an "o" sound in "ung" and "um" finals in southern Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore.

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. Often silent at the end of a syllable in southern Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore.
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

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'?') / Apa nama awak?
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) (formal) / Pun (colloquial)
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)
What: Apa
How much / How many: Berapa
Where: Mana
Who: Siapa
How: Bagaimana (formal) / Macam mana (colloquial)
Which: Yang mana
Why: Mengapa (muhng-AH-puh) (formal) / Kenapa (colloquial)
When: Bila
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)

Note: Although Bahasa Inggeris is the standard term for the English language, it is also common to hear the slang term bahasa orang putih (lit. white person's language) in colloquial Malay.

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! (...) / Mata-mata!
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: lagi / 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

Telling time in Malay is straightforward. Just use the term pukul + number for the hours.

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 (...)

In formal situations, jam is used instead of pukul, so 1.00 is jam satu, 2.00 is jam dua and so on. Do not mess up the syntax as this changes the meaning; jam satu means 1 o'clock, but satu jam means 1 hour (in duration).

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, i.e. Monday), "Hari Dua" (Day Two, i.e. Tuesday) 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

The months of the year in Malay are just borrowed from English.

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 lagi sunyi? / Ada yang lebih sunyi? (...)
Do you have a room which is...: Ada bilik yang... (...)
...bigger?: ...lagi besar? / ...lebih besar? (leh-beh buh-SAHR)
...cleaner?: ...lagi bersih / ...lebih bersih? (bur-SEH)
...cheaper?: ...lagi murah? / ...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 lagi murah. / 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)

Family

In this section, the terms are listed in decreasing order of formality. For the non-gender-specific terms, you can specify the gender by adding lelaki (male) or perempuan (female) to the back.

father: bapa / bapak / pak
mother: ibu / bu / emak / mak
grandfather: datuk / atuk / tuk / toki (in Kelantan/Terengganu)
grandmother: nenek / nek / tok (in Kelantan/Terengganu)
older brother: abang / bang
older sister (also older brother in Kelantan): kakak / kak
younger sibling: adik / dik
child: anak
grandchild: cucu
husband: suami / laki
wife: isteri / bini
cousin: pupu

Driving

What's that sign? Jalan/Jalan Raya — Road (JAH-lahn) Laman/Lorong — Small Road/Lane Lebuhraya — Expressway (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)

This Malay phrasebook is a usable article. It explains pronunciation and the bare essentials of travel communication. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.