Malay phrasebook

Malay (Bahasa Melayu) is the sole official language of Malaysia and Brunei, and one of the four official languages in Singapore. Standard Malay (bahasa baku, which literally means "standard language", and formally called Bahasa Melayu Baku) is closely related to Indonesian, and speakers of both languages 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.

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 have already eaten' = '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'). Ini buku means 'this is a book', 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.

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 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.

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 for 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.)

Vowels

a 

like 'a' in `father', except at the ends of 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)

ê 

like 'e' in `vowel' (schwa)

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'

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 word `I' (except in Kelantan)

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 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) 

Assalamualaikum (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)

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 replies with 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! (...)

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. (...)

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. (...)

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 DOHK-tohr)

Can I use your phone? 

Boleh saya guna telefon awak? (BO-leh SAH-yuh GOO-nuh TE-le-phone AH-wah')

Numbers

0 

sifar (formal)/kosong (colloquial, lit. empty)

1 

satu/se (as in 'satu' ringgit or 'se'ringgit, 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

1000 

seribu

1100 

seribu seratus

1152 

seribu seratus lima puluh dua

1200 

seribu dua ratus

1500 

seribu lima ratus

2000 

dua ribu

2100 

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 hour: 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 deh-PAHN)

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-GOOS)

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)

August 17th 1945 

17 Ogos 1945

Colors

black 

hitam (HEE-tahm)

white 

putih (POO-teh)

gray 

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

There (for example, across the room or across the street)

Situ, di situ

Over there, yonder (for example, 50 miles away)

Sana, di sana

To here 

Ke sini

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)

Turn right. 

Pusing kanan. (POO-sing KAH-nahn)

left 

kiri (...)

right 

kanan (...)

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)

Alright. 

Baiklah. (BUY'-lah)

I will stay for _____ night(s). 

Saya akan tinggal untuk _____ malam. (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? (...)

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 `lite', 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-DAHP-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? (...)

How much is this? 

Berapa harga ini? (...)

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) (...)

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?

The quality is not good. 

Kualitinya tidak baik.

I don't want that. 

Saya tak nak itu.

OK, I'll buy it. 

Baiklah, saya beli. (BUY'-lah, SAH-yuh buh-LEE)

Can I have a plastic bag? 

Ada beg plastik? (...)

It's cheaper over there. 

Di sana lebih murah.

Do you ship (overseas)? 

Boleh hantar (ke luar negeri)? (...)

I need... 

Saya perlu... (SAH-yuh puhr-LOO)

...toothpaste. 

...ubat gigi. (OH-baht GEE-gee)

...a toothbrush. 

...berus gigi. (...)

...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. (...)

...a razor. 

...pencukur / pisau cukur. (...)

...an umbrella. 

...payung. (PAH-young)

...a postcard. 

...poskad. (...)

...postage stamps. 

...setem. (...)

...batteries. 

...bateri. (...)

...(writing) paper. 

...kertas (tulis). (KUHR-tahs)

...a pen. 

... pen. (...)

...English-language books. 

...buku dalam Bahasa Inggeris. (...)

...English-language magazines. 

...majalah dalam Bahasa Inggeris. (...)

...an English-language newspaper. 

...surat khabar dalam Bahasa Inggeris. (...)

...an English-Malay dictionary. 

...kamus Inggeris-Melayu. (...)

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-lah 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) or kesiankanlah saya (informal)

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)