# 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
#### 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)