Travel Easy: 135 Essential Malay Travel Phrases

Many travelers want to travel to Malaysia to see its breathtaking sites and experience its beautiful culture. Have you heard about beautiful places like Petronas Twin TowersGunung Mulu National Park, and Perhentian Islands? Malaysia is a beautiful country with many things to offer to travelers, so learning Malay travel phrases will come in handy.

Also known as Bahasa Melayu, the Malaysian language is the mother tongue of the Malaysian people. This blog will learn about Malay travel phrases that could help you have a meaningful and convenient travel experience in Malaysia.

 

Malay Phrases For Travelers

Malay Travel Phrases
Malay Travel Phrases

Most Malaysian locals can speak in English because Malaysian English is used in about 80% of urban businesses. This is an advantage for travelers who speak English, but if you want to have a meaningful and memorable trip to Malaysia, you might learn the Malay language. Here are some Malay phrases for travel that you must know before going to Malaysia.

Basic Greetings

Greetings are an essential part of every conversation. It is a polite and respectful thing to do when talking to others. There are different words and phrases that you can use to greet someone in the Malay language. Break the ice and start conversations with Malay travel phrases related to basic greetings:

Hello/ Hai – Hello/Hi

This greeting is the most common and easiest greetings you can learn. If you speak English, you will find it easy to learn because it is too similar.

Selamat Pagi – Good Morning

This is used to greet someone in the morning. It’s nice to start the day pleasant with this greeting.

Selamat Tengahari -Good Afternoon

If you want to greet somebody at noon, usually 12:00 pm- 3:00 pm, you can use this phrase.

Selamat Malam – Good Night

For evening greeting, you can say Selamat Petang. This will really be useful when you experience the nightlife in Malaysia.

MalayEnglish Translation
Selamat PetangGood Evening
Selamat TinggalGoodbye
Apakhabar?How are you?
Selamat DatangWelcome

Useful Phrases

If you would like to connect with Malaysians, you should learn how to talk to them. You can begin with some basic and useful phrases. These Malay travel phrases will be helpful as a traveler in asking directions, shopping, and dining.

Terima Kasih -Thank You

Learning how to say Thank you in the Malaysian language (Bahasa Melayu) is very important in their culture. If you want to read more about saying Thank You in Malay, there is a separate blog for you.

Other Useful Words And Phrases In Malay

MalayEnglish Translation
Terima kasih banyak banyakThank you very much
Sama-SamaYou’re Welcome
Minta maafSorry
Tumpang tanyaExcuse me
SilaPlease
YaYes
Tidak / TakNo
Kamu boleh cakap … ?Do you speak …?
Awak boleh cakap Bahasa Inggeris?Can you speak English?
Boleh awak cakap perlahan sedikit?Can you speak slowly?
Maaf, boleh tolong ulang semula?I’m sorry, can you please repeat?
Saya tidak faham & Saya tak fahamI don’t understand
Tolong! Tolong!Cry for help

Introducing Yourself

Going around the country, there will be times when you have to introduce yourself. Of course, you can do it in English but using their local language, Malay (Bahasa Melayu), might give them an excellent first impression of you. So here some essentials that you can use when introducing yourself.

Nama saya -My name is

This is the basic way to introduce yourself and get to know someone in the Malay language. Suppose you want to read more about how locals introduce themselves. Then, you can read the blog post entitled 11 Best Tips On How To Introduce Yourself In Malay.

Other Malay Words and Phrases to Introduce Yourself

MalayEnglish Translation
Umur saya X tahunI am X years old
Saya tinggal diI live in/at
Saya datang dari…I come from…
Saya seorangI am a + occupationSaya suka (I like/I like to)
Siapa nama awak?What’s your name?

Shopping

What’s a trip without going to the market and buying some souvenirs that will remind you about your whole trip? So, here is a list of Malay phrases for travelers related to shopping. You can also learn in this part of the blog the numbers and colors you can use to identify your purchase.

Berapa harga? – How much is this?

If you are on a budget, make sure to ask the price first before buying. Just a few tips. Beware of overpricing which is a common occurrence if you are a foreigner and try to haggle for a cheaper price.

Other Malay Words and Phrases Used When Shopping

MalayEnglish Translation
Berapa harga?What’s the price? / How much (is the price)?
Apa ini?What is this?
HargaPrice
MahalExpensive
MurahCheap
Mahal sangatThat’s too expensive
Boleh kurang?Can you reduce the price?
Boleh murah sedikit?Can it be cheaper?
Saya nak beli kasutI want to buy shoes.
Pusat membeli belahShopping Mall
Duit, wangMoney
SatuOne
DuaTwo
TigaThree
EmpatFour
LimaFive
EnamSix
TujuhSeven
LapanEight
SembilanNine
SepuluhTen
OrenOrange
PutihWhite
HitamBlack
MerahRed
KelabuGray
CoklatBrown
HijauGreen
BiruBlue

 

Dining Out

Your whole adventure will not be complete without trying some Malaysian food. There are lots of Malaysian food that is worth trying, from the street down to restaurants. Here are some Malay phrases for travel related to dining out and food.

Boleh awak cadangkan hidangan? – Can you recommend a dish?

Malaysian cuisine reflects the multi-ethnic population of Malaysia. It consists of cooking traditions and practice that is part of their well-preserved culture.

Other Malay phrases related to dining out / food:

MalayEnglish Translation
MakanEat
MinumDrink
Menua menu
Hidangana meal
Pencuci mulutDessert
SedapDelicious
Selamat menjamu seleraEnjoy (the meal)
Layan diriSelf service
ResitReceipt
Sila dudukPlease have a seat
RotiBread
MeeNoodles
DagingMeat
NasiRice
AyamChicken
Daging lembuBeef
IkanFish
SayurVegetables
AirWater
Air minumanDrinking water
Kopi oBlack coffee
Kopi susuCoffee with milk
Tanpa gulaNo sugar
Tanpa susuNo milk
Kurang aisLess ice
Extra SpicyTambah pedas
Less SpicyKurang pedas
Bayarto pay
Alahallergic to
Vegetarianto be vegetarian
Sila masuk.Please come in.
Sila duduk di sini.Please sit here.
Sila pesan makanan.Please order food.
Sila tunggu sebentar.Please wait a moment.
Saya sangat lapar.I am very hungry.
Saya kenyang.I am full.
Boleh saya bayar dengan kad kredit?Can I pay with a credit card?
Boleh awak cadangkan hidangan?Can you recommend a dish?
Boleh awak bawakan saya menu berbahasa Inggeris?Can you bring me the English menu?
Boleh awak tolong bawakan saya bil?Can you please bring me the bill?
Boleh awak tolong bawakan saya resit?Can you please bring me the receipt?

Traveling And Giving Directions

These are the essential Malay travel phrases you need to know when you want to explore the beauty of Malaysia. These phrases will help you the right destination and address that you are looking for. These phrases will also help when you are lost.

Belok kanan / Belok kiri – Turn right / Turn left

If you don’t know the place, do not hesitate to ask for directions. Ensure to learn the basic words like this to navigate your map and find the address you are looking for.

Other Words and Phrases Related To Traveling and Giving Directions

MalayEnglish Translation
Jalan terusGo straight
Perlahan sikitPerlahan sikit
Di antarabetween
Di hadapanin front of
Di belakangbehind
UtaraNorth
SelatanSouth
TimurEast
BaratWest
Zooa zoo
Pantaia beach
Restorana restaurant
Muziuma museum
Kedai kopia coffee shop
Tiket kapal terbanga plane ticket
Menaikito board
Penerbangana flight
Kereta apiTrain
Stesen kereta apiTrain station
Stesen basa bus station
Tiket basa bus ticket
Pemandua driver
Feriferry
Harga tiket kereta api adalah 100 dollar.The train ticket costs 100 dollars.
Kereta api ini akan tiba di stesen destinasi pada 2 petang.This train will arrive at the destination station at 2 pm.
Ini adalah jadual kereta api.The is the train schedule.
Saya ada di lapangan terbang sekarang.I am at the airport now.
Saya ada di stesen bas sekarang.I am at the bus station now.
Pemandu bas berhenti di pasar raya.The bus driver stops at the supermarket.
Saya sedang menunggu feri.I’m waiting for the ferry.
 Dimanakah tandas?Where is the bathroom?

Traveling To Malaysia? Learn Malay Today!

Malay is one of the easiest languages that you can learn. So if you are looking for an app that will help you have an engaging language learning experience, Ling App is the perfect app for you. After learning the Malay travel phrases, you are now ready to learn more about the Malay language through Ling App.

Millions of users can’t lie. There’s a reason why users keep on using Ling App as their language learning partner. Just search it on the web or download it in the App Store/ Play Store. So don’t wait any longer. Learn Malay now!

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