Austronesian · Latin
MalayBahasa Melayu
80M speakers · Southeast Asia
250 terms
Hello
A casual greeting; Malays also often greet with assalamualaikum.
Good morning
A morning greeting; selamat plus a time of day forms most greetings.
Good afternoon/evening
A greeting used in the late afternoon and early evening.
Good night
A greeting used at night, also said before going to bed.
Goodbye
A farewell said by the person leaving; the one staying says selamat jalan.
See you later
A casual way to say goodbye, literally meet again.
Thank you
The standard expression of gratitude, literally receive love.
You're welcome
The standard reply to thanks.
Sorry; excuse me
An apology, also used to get someone's attention politely.
Yes
An affirmative answer.
No; not
A negative answer; colloquially shortened to tak.
How are you?
A common greeting question, literally what news.
I'm fine
The standard reply to apa khabar, literally good news.
My name is
Used to introduce yourself by name.
Nice to meet you
Said when meeting someone for the first time.
Welcome
Used to welcome guests or new arrivals.
Good luck
A wish for success, literally may you succeed.
I don't understand
A useful phrase for learners when something is unclear.
One
The number one.
Two
The number two.
Three
The number three.
Four
The number four.
Five
The number five.
Six
The number six.
Seven
The number seven.
Eight
The number eight; Indonesian uses delapan.
Nine
The number nine.
Ten
The number ten.
Hundred
The number one hundred.
Thousand
The number one thousand.
Today
The present day.
Tomorrow
The day after today; Indonesian uses besok.
Yesterday
The day before today; in Indonesian semalam means last night.
Now
At the present moment.
Hour; clock
An hour or a clock; pukul is used for telling time.
Minute
A period of sixty seconds; Indonesian spells it menit.
Week; Sunday
A period of seven days; capitalized, it means Sunday.
Year
A period of twelve months.
Family
A group of people related by blood or marriage.
Mother
A female parent; emak or mak is the everyday word.
Father
A male parent; bapa is also used.
Older brother
An older brother; also used to address young men politely.
Older sister
An older sister in Malay; in Indonesian kakak covers both genders.
Younger sibling
A younger brother or sister.
Son; boy
A male child.
Daughter; girl
A female child.
Grandfather
The father of your parent; also an honorary Malaysian title.
Grandmother
The mother of your parent.
Husband
The man a woman is married to.
Wife
The woman a man is married to; Indonesian spells it istri.
Children
Young people in general.
Friend
A person you know well and like.
Man; male
An adult male person.
Woman; female
An adult female person.
Teacher
The everyday Malay word for teacher, from encik guru.
Student; pupil
A person who studies at school.
Neighbor
A person who lives next to or near you; Indonesian uses tetangga.
Water
The clear liquid essential for life.
Tea
A drink made from tea leaves; teh tarik, pulled milk tea, is Malaysia's favorite.
Coffee
A drink made from coffee beans; kopitiam coffee shops are an institution.
Cooked rice
The staple food; nasi lemak is Malaysia's national dish.
Noodles
Noodles; mi goreng mamak is a beloved street dish.
Bread
Bread; roti canai, the flaky flatbread, is a breakfast favorite.
Meat
The flesh of animals eaten as food.
Chicken
A chicken, or chicken meat.
Fish
An animal that lives in water, eaten as food.
Egg
An egg laid by a hen, a common breakfast food.
Vegetables
Plants grown for food.
Fruit
Sweet plant foods; durian is the controversial king of fruits.
Mango
A sweet tropical fruit.
Milk
A white drink produced by cows.
Juice
A drink made from pressed fruit.
Sugar
A sweet substance added to food and drinks.
Salt
A white substance used to season food.
Breakfast
The first meal of the day.
Lunch
The meal eaten in the middle of the day.
Dinner
The meal eaten in the evening.
Airport
A place where airplanes take off and land; Indonesian uses bandara.
Airplane
A flying vehicle, literally flying ship.
Train
A train, literally fire carriage; kereta alone means car in Malay.
Car
A car in Malay; beware — in Indonesian kereta means train.
Station
A place where trains stop; Indonesian spells it stasiun.
Bus
A large road vehicle; Indonesian spells it bus.
Taxi
A car you pay to be driven somewhere in.
Hotel
A place where travelers pay to stay overnight.
Restaurant
A place where you pay to eat; an open-air food court is a medan selera.
City; town
A large town; Indonesian uses kota.
Village
A village; balik kampung, returning to one's village, is a festive tradition.
Street; road
A road; jalan-jalan means to go for a stroll.
Passport
An official document needed for traveling abroad.
Ticket
A piece of paper that allows you to travel or enter a place.
Map
A drawing showing streets, cities, or countries.
Bank
A place where people keep and borrow money.
Market
A place where goods are sold; the pasar malam night market is a treat.
Beach
A sandy shore by the sea; Langkawi's beaches are famous.
Trip; journey
The act of traveling to a place.
Sun
The star that gives Earth light and warmth, literally eye of the day.
Moon; month
The bright object in the night sky; the same word means month.
Star
A point of light in the night sky.
Sky
The space above the earth where clouds and stars appear.
Sea
The large body of salt water around the Malay peninsula and Borneo.
River
A large natural stream of water flowing to the sea.
Mountain
A very high hill; Mount Kinabalu is Malaysia's highest peak.
Forest; jungle
A large area covered with trees; Borneo's rainforest is ancient.
Tree
A tall plant with a trunk; Indonesian uses pohon.
Flower
The colorful blossom of a plant; the hibiscus is Malaysia's national flower.
Rain
Water that falls from clouds; tropical downpours come most afternoons.
Snow
Soft white frozen water; Malaysians travel abroad to see it.
Wind
Moving air that you can feel.
Weather
The condition of the air, such as sun, rain, or wind.
Animal
A living creature; Indonesian spells it hewan.
Cat
A small pet animal; Kuching, the city in Sarawak, shares the name.
Body
The whole physical structure of a person; Indonesian prefers tubuh.
Head
The top part of the body containing the brain and face.
Eye
The part of the body used for seeing.
Ear
The part of the body used for hearing.
Nose
The part of the face used for smelling and breathing.
Mouth
The part of the face used for eating and speaking.
Hand; arm
The upper limb, covering both hand and arm in everyday speech.
Leg; foot
The lower limb used for walking.
Heart
The organ that pumps blood.
Hair
The hair on a person's head.
Stomach; belly
The front part of the body below the chest.
Doctor
A person trained to treat sick people; Indonesian spells it dokter.
Hospital
A place where sick people are treated; Indonesian uses rumah sakit.
Medicine
Something you take to treat an illness; Indonesian spells it obat.
Health
The condition of the body and mind; Indonesian spells it kesehatan.
Sick; painful
Ill, or hurting; sakit kepala means headache.
Work; job
A job, or the activity of working.
Company
A business organization; Indonesian uses perusahaan.
Office
A room or building where people work; in Indonesian pejabat means an official.
Boss
The person in charge at work.
Colleague
A person you work with.
Meeting
An occasion when people come together to discuss something; Indonesian uses rapat.
Money
Coins and banknotes; the Malaysian currency is the ringgit. Indonesian uses uang.
Salary
The money you receive regularly for your work.
Computer
An electronic machine used for work and entertainment.
Telephone
A device used for calling people; Indonesian spells it telepon.
Profession; occupation
The type of work a person does.
Project
A planned piece of work; Indonesian spells it proyek.
Customer
A person who buys goods or services.
Contract
A formal written agreement.
Manager
The person who leads a company, shop, or team; Indonesian uses manajer.
Factory
A building where goods are made; Indonesian uses pabrik.
Culture
The art, customs, and traditions of Malaysia's Malay, Chinese, and Indian communities.
History
The study of past events, or the events themselves.
Language
A system of words; Bahasa Melayu is the national language.
Book
Written pages bound together for reading.
Music
Sounds arranged in a pleasing way; Indonesian spells it musik.
Film; movie
A story shown in moving pictures; Indonesian spells it film.
Art
Painting, sculpture, and other creative work; batik and songket are Malay arts.
Museum
A building where important objects and art are shown; Indonesian spells it museum.
Festival; celebration
A special time of celebration.
Hari Raya (Eid)
The festival ending Ramadan, Malaysia's biggest celebration.
Religion
Belief in and worship of a god or gods.
Government
The group ruling a country; Indonesian uses pemerintah.
News
Reports about recent events.
Society; community
People living together in an organized community.
To be (is/are)
Links a subject with a noun; ialah is also used.
To have; there is
Expresses possession or existence.
To go
To move from one place to another.
To come
To move toward the speaker or a place.
To eat
To put food in your mouth; sudah makan is a friendly greeting.
To drink
To take liquid into your mouth and swallow it.
To see; to look
To notice something with your eyes; tengok is the casual word.
To hear; to listen
To notice sounds with your ears.
To speak
To say words; Indonesian uses berbicara.
To read
To look at words and understand them.
To write
To form letters and words on paper or a screen.
To buy
To get something by paying money.
To sell
To give something in exchange for money.
To make
To create or produce something.
To work
To do a job, especially for money.
To think
To use your mind; Indonesian spells it berpikir.
To want
To wish for something; casually shortened to nak.
To love; dear
To love dearly; also a term of endearment and what a pity.
To like
To find something pleasant or enjoyable.
To learn; to study
To gain knowledge or skill.
To know (facts)
To have information in your mind.
To know (people)
To be familiar with a person.
To give
To hand something to someone; bagi is the casual word.
To take
To pick something up or accept it.
To look for
To try to find something.
To help
To make something easier for someone; Indonesian prefers membantu.
To begin
To start doing something.
To finish
To be done or completed; siap is also common.
Good; kind
Of high quality, or kind in character.
Bad
Of poor quality or unpleasant.
Big
Of great size.
Small
Of little size.
New
Recently made or bought; also means just now.
Old; a long time
Having existed long, or taking a long time.
Old (age)
Advanced in age; orang tua means parents or the elderly.
Tall; high
Of great height; the Petronas Towers are very tinggi.
Short
Of little height or length.
Long
Of great length.
Hot
Having a high temperature; Malaysia is hot and humid year-round.
Cold; cool
Having a low temperature; Indonesian uses dingin.
Fast
Moving quickly; cepat is also used.
Slow; late
Moving without speed, or arriving late.
Expensive
Costing a lot of money.
Cheap
Costing little money.
Beautiful
Very pleasing to look at.
Easy
Not difficult; senang is also used for easy in Malay.
Difficult
Hard to do or understand; sukar is the formal word.
Important
Having great value or significance.
Clean
Free from dirt.
Delicious
Tasty — the word you will use constantly in Malaysia. Indonesian uses enak.
What
Used to ask about things.
Who
Used to ask about people.
Where
Used to ask about places.
When
Used to ask about time; Indonesian uses kapan.
Why
Used to ask about reasons; kenapa is the casual form.
How
Used to ask about manner; macam mana is the casual form.
How much; how many
Used to ask about quantity or price.
Which one
Used to ask about a choice between things.
Whose
Used to ask about ownership; casually siapa punya.
Question particle
Introduces a formal yes/no question.
House; home
A building where people live, or your home.
Apartment
A set of rooms for living in; Indonesian uses apartemen.
Kitchen
The room where food is prepared.
Bathroom
The room for washing, literally water room; Indonesian uses kamar mandi.
Bedroom
The room where you sleep; bilik means room in Malay.
Door
The entrance to a room or building.
Window
An opening in a wall with glass; Indonesian uses jendela.
Table
A piece of furniture with a flat top.
Chair
A seat with a back; Indonesian spells it kursi.
Bed
A piece of furniture for sleeping; Indonesian uses tempat tidur.
To sleep
To rest with your eyes closed at night.
Clothes
Things you wear; baju is the everyday word.
Shoes
Footwear; Indonesian uses sepatu. Removed before entering a home.
Key
A metal object used to open locks.
Watch
A small clock worn on the wrist, literally hand clock.
Television
A device for watching programmes; Indonesian spells it televisi.
Lamp; light
A device that gives light.
Bag
A container with handles; Indonesian uses tas.
To cook
To prepare food by heating it.
To go shopping
To shop for pleasure or daily needs; Indonesian uses belanja.
Happy
Feeling pleasure and joy; Indonesian prefers senang or gembira.
Sad
Feeling unhappy.
Angry
Feeling strong displeasure.
Afraid
Feeling fear.
Tired
Needing rest; Indonesian uses lelah or capek.
Hungry
Feeling the need to eat.
Thirsty
Feeling the need to drink; Indonesian uses haus.
Worried
Feeling anxious; Indonesian uses khawatir.
Bored
Feeling tired because something is not interesting.
Excited
Full of anticipation and enthusiasm; Indonesian uses bersemangat.
Surprised
Feeling wonder because of something unexpected.
Love; affection
Deep affection and care, especially within a family.