Malay pronouns are an essential part of the Malay language, reflecting the culture and societal nuances of Malaysia. From formal to informal contexts and singular to plural forms, Malay pronouns offer a rich and varied way of expressing oneself.
The basic Malay pronouns are saya (I), awak (you), kami (we), and dia (he/she). Let’s delve into this fascinating aspect of the language and observe how native Malay speakers use them in both formal and informal contexts.
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Malay Pronouns: Explanations & Examples
As a part of Malay grammar, pronouns are words that replace nouns or noun phrases to avoid repetition, allowing for a more fluid communication. Pronouns can refer to people, places, or things that have been previously mentioned in a conversation.
Like other languages, Bahasa Malaysia has its own first-person pronouns, second-person pronouns, and third-person pronouns. Let’s see how these Malay pronouns look like and how you can use them to effectively communicate as you travel to Malaysia.
Malay Pronouns: First-Person Pronouns
These are the first category of personal pronouns in Malay, known as kata ganti diri pertama.
Saya (I) – formal
Saya is the most widely used pronoun in Malaysia, aside from aku. Both pronouns refers to ‘I’. However, saya is mostly used in a formal context, while aku is commonly used in an informal setting.
Saya is perfect to be used if you landed a job in Malaysia, got enrolled in a school or were contacted by any Malaysian customer services. The locals typically use saya with strangers, superiors, authorities, or the elderly. It connotes a sense of courtesy, politeness, and diplomacy. It’s the standard way of referring to yourself in Malay.
Aku (I) – informal
Aku, on the other hand, is used to refer to yourself casually. While it carries the same meaning as saya, aku feels more personal and intimate. It’s the pronoun that fosters deeper conversations among friends. In Malaysia, it’s commonly used among close friends and family members, especially by those who are of the same age. In workplace settings, you’ll notice that Malay colleagues use this particular pronoun with each other. However, some may perceive aku as impolite, so it’s advisable to avoid using it with elders, strangers, or in formal situations.
Kami (We/Us) – exclusive
Kami is the first-person pronoun representing a group of people (plural). Equivalent to the English pronoun, we, kami can be adopted in both formal and informal settings. While kami is similar to kita in meaning, there’s a difference when it comes to the pronoun’s clusivity.
Kami is used when a speaker is referring to a group that includes themselves but excludes the person being spoken to. For example:
Kami akan pergi ke pantai. (We [but not you] will go to the beach.) — Here, the speaker is telling the listener that they and their group are going to the beach, but the listener is not included in the group.
Kami tidak bersetuju dengan cadangan itu. (We [excluding you] do not agree with that proposal.) — The speaker is telling the listener that they and their group disagree with the suggestion, but the listener is not included in the group.
Kita (We/Us) – inclusive
Similar to kami, kita is a first-person plural pronoun that means ‘we’ and it can also be used in both formal and informal contexts. But unlike kami, kita is an inclusive form of ‘we’. Let’s take a look at the examples below:
Kami akan pergi ke pantai. (We [including you] will go to the beach.) — Here, the speaker is telling the listener that they and their group are going to the beach, with the listener included.
Kita harus bersetuju dengan cadangan itu. (We [including you] must agree with that proposal.) — The speaker is including the listener in the group that must agree with the proposal stated.
Local tip: Kita sometimes is used by the locals to refer to themselves; the speaker (singular). Yes, this colloquial practice is commonly found in the Malay society today. Instead of using saya, a Malay will say kita (a practice often seen among girls as kita somewhat asserts a sense of softness and tenderness compared to saya, which may sound too formal, or aku, which may be considered aggressive to some).
| Number | Formality | English | Malay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | Formal | I like to drink coffee. | Saya suka minum kopi. |
| Singular | Informal | I need your help. | Aku perlukan bantuan kau. |
| Plural | Exclusive | We will try our best to help. | Kami akan cuba sedaya upaya untuk membantu. |
| Plural | Inclusive | We must find a way to solve this issue! | Kita mesti cari jalan untuk selesaikan isu ini! |
| Singular | Colloquial | I don’t like that place. | Kita tak suka tempat itu. |
Malay Pronouns: Second-Person Pronouns
Second-person pronouns in Malay is called kata ganti diri kedua.
Awak (You)
Awak, similar to kamu and anda, is a standard way of saying ‘you’. However, since awak has a friendly underlying tone, it’s typically used among friends, peers, or equals. With this fact in mind, it still can be used in workplace settings, friendly conversations, or while buying food at the night market, making it suitable for both formal and informal contexts. You can use it with strangers too, given that they seem to be of your age group. And just so you know, in Malaysia, a man will usually address a girl he likes as awak, especially during first encounters, to sound gentle and friendly.
Kamu (You) – formal
Kamu, which also means ‘you’ are typically used to address someone who’s younger in age or rank. This is how school teachers commonly address their students. Kamu can also refer to a group of people (plural), especially if the word semua (all) is added: kamu semua (you all). And while kamu is mostly employed in formal contexts, some Malay speakers still use it with their close friends—and no harm is done!
Anda (You) – formal
Anda is the most formal version of ‘you’ in Malay. It’s a polite way to address people directly in professional settings and formal communications, conveying respect. Anda is rarely used in daily conversation, but is prevalent in business or official interactions. You’ll often encounter it in TV news, announcements, official notices, job interviews, and public speeches.
Kau (You) – informal
Kau (short for engkau) is often used to refer to someone informally. It is the exact opposite of aku. So, all connotations of aku apply to kau as well. This pronoun can be regarded as a bit discourteous to some (especially if spoken with the wrong intonation), so it’s best to not address anyone with authority or those older than you using kau. But, like aku, kau feels more personal. It’s the perfect pronoun to address your closest friends, families, and co-workers.
Kalian (You) – plural
Kalian is used to refer to a group of people you’re addressing. You can address your interlocutors using kalian only if you’re in a formal setting. Yup, we don’t use it in our daily interactions. Sometimes, it is often the case where native Malay speakers say kamu semua (kamu means you and semua means all) in addressing their interlocutors formally, instead of using kalian—just because kalian can sound a bit too formal, while kamu feels more friendly.
These are the first-person pronouns in Malay language. However, there’s something you should know: The spoken Malay landscape is heavily influenced by slang and trends. Over the years, people refer to one another a bit differently (in informal settings), creating new unofficial pronouns (from the ones above) that are used daily. While these Malay slang words used do not exist in the Malay dictionary, they are prevalent in everyday conversations.
| Number | Formality | English | Malay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | Polite | Have you eaten yet? | Awak dah makan belum? |
| Singular | Formal | Have you finished the work I gave you? | Kamu dah siapkan kerja yang saya bagi? |
| Singular | Formal | You need to fill out this form before 5 PM. | Anda perlu mengisi borang ini sebelum jam 5 petang. |
| Singular | Informal | I heard you are moving to the city next week. | Aku dengar kau akan pindah ke bandar minggu depan. |
| Plural | Formal | You all are invited to attend the training session. | Kalian dijemput untuk menghadiri sesi latihan tersebut. |
Malay Pronouns: Third-Person Pronouns
Third-person pronouns in Malay are known as kata ganti diri ketiga.
Dia (He/She) – formal & informal
Unlike English, you only need to know the word dia to refer to someone. The pronoun dia (sounds exactly like the English word ‘dear’) is used to refer to a person that is the subject of your discussion. In Bahasa Melayu, the pronoun does not indicate one’s gender. That’s right—Malay doesn’t have gender-specific pronouns. Therefore, dia can refer to either a female or a male, depending on the context. In a sense, it’s a great characteristic as it conceals the real identity of the subject, especially if someone is trying to eavesdrop on your conversation! This particular pronoun is fundamental and it’s the one you use on a daily basis.
Beliau (He/She) – formal
If you want to make references to a person whom you look up to, respect, and admire, you need to regard him using beliau rather than dia. In Malay, beliau is used to refer to a highly regarded, reputable individual; often someone with significant contributions or authority. It’s typically applicable to those who hold someone older too, who possesses higher authority than you. Beliau is predominantly used in formal contexts, such as when a news anchor mentions a prominent figure or when writing a short biography of a famous celebrity. You won’t hear this term in everyday conversations.
Mereka (They) – plural
‘They’ in Malay is called mereka. In both formal and informal contexts, mereka maintains a level of respect, making it a versatile pronoun in Malay. But it’s often used in official documents, speeches, news reports, and formal writing. In a casual manner, however, the locals would opt for “diorang” which is a combination of dia (he/she) and orang (people) rather than mereka (as it can sound a bit too formal). So, if you want to imitate the spoken practice of the local Malays, you can do the same and use diorang instead.
| Number | Formality | English | Malay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | Neutral | He/she went to the market. | Dia pergi ke pasar. |
| Singular | Formal | He/She is a highly respected leader. | Beliau adalah seorang pemimpin yang sangat dihormati. |
| Plural | Formal | They are discussing. | Mereka sedang berbincang. |
As a non-native speaker, getting familiar with all these pronouns can be challenging at first, but with a little bit of practice every day, mastering them is not a problem. Using apps like Ling app would be a great starting point to identify which pronouns you should use when communicating with the locals.
How Do You Say Pronouns In Malay Language?
In Malay, pronouns is known as kata ganti nama, which is a combination of kata (word), ganti (replacement or substitute), and nama (name). This combination literally means “words that replace names”.
Other Important Vocabulary For Malay Pronouns
Interrogative Pronouns
The interrogative pronouns share a similar nature as the Malay interrogative questions. In essence, the words of interrogative pronouns are siapa (who), mana (where), bila (when), kenapa (why), apa (what) and bagaimana (how).
| Pronoun | English | Malay |
|---|---|---|
| Siapa (who) | What is that child’s name? | Siapa nama anak itu? |
| Mana (where) | Where are my car keys? | Mana kunci kereta saya? |
| Apa (what) | What did you buy at the market earlier? | Apa yang kamu beli di pasar tadi? |
| Bagaimana (how) | How do we get there? | Bagaimana cara untuk ke sana? |
| Mengapa (why) | Why are you sad? | Mengapa kamu sedih? |
Possessive Pronouns
| Pronoun | English | Malay |
|---|---|---|
| Saya punya (mine, my) | This is my book/this book is mine. | Buku ini saya punya. |
| Kamu punya (yours, your) | Where is your car? | Mana kamu punya kereta? |
| Dia punya (his, hers, its) | This pencil is his/her. | Pensel ini dia punya. |
| Kita punya (ours, our) | These notes are not ours. | Nota-nota ini bukan kami punya. |
| Mereka punya (theirs, their) | Theirs is a better idea. | Mereka punya idea lebih baik. |
Demonstrative Pronouns
| Pronoun | English | Malay |
|---|---|---|
| Ini (this) | This is my new house. | Ini adalah rumah baru saya. |
| Itu (that) | That is a big hotel. | Itu adalah hotel yang besar. |
| Sini (here) | Please sit here. | Sila duduk sini. |
| Situ (there) | The food is there. | Makanan itu ada di situ. |
Frequently Asked Questions For Malay Verbs
What Are The First-Person Pronouns In Malay?
The first-person pronouns in Malay are saya and aku for the singular form, I, and kami and kita for the plural form, we. These pronouns should be used appropriately based on the context, whether informal or formal.
What Is The Difference Between Kami And Kita?
While they both share the same meaning, we, kami and kita is a bit different when it comes to clusivity. Kami is used when a speaker is referring to a group that includes themselves but excludes the person being spoken to. Kita, on the contrary, is an inclusive form of ‘we’. When you’re using kita, you’re also including the listener(s) to be part of your group.
What Is A Possessive Pronoun In Malay?
In Malay, possessive pronouns are called kata ganti milik. These Malay pronouns are used to indicate ownership or possession of something.
Step Up Your Malay Language Game
Learning Malay pronouns opens doors to deeper cultural understanding and more meaningful conversations. With consistent practice and the right resources like Ling app, you’ll grasp the nuances of formal and informal expressions faster than you think, elevating your ability to connect with the native Malay speakers more authentically. Once you’ve mastered pronouns, you can expand your knowledge by delving into other essential topics like Malay conjunctions and Malay verbs.
