Are you looking at a hundred different travel destinations, but you can’t seem to figure out where to go? Well, one country that you should definitely consider is Malaysia. To get the best out of your vacation to this Asian country, we will walk you through the common Malay vocab for daily life so that you can install connect with the locals and forge friendships. If you are ready for that, keep reading!
Aside from the fantastic architecture and beaches, Malaysia also offers a unique language which is truly something that you should learn about. Malay is a beautiful language, not to mention that it uses the Latin alphabet, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to learn if your native language also uses the Latin alphabet! In fact, it’s a fun language with a rich history. If you want to learn the basics, read the sections below.
Where Is Malay Spoken?
Malay is spoken in Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore, and parts of Thailand. Since Malay is used in multiple countries, it has a global speaking population of around 290 million people! That’s a lot of people for you to talk to!
Remember that all of these countries are geographically very close to each other. So if you’re looking for your next travel destination, why not learn Malay and travel to all of these countries? But, if you do choose to travel around and speak Malay, you should know that each country has a different name for the language “Malay.” Don’t get confused, just look at the table below!
| Country | Language |
| Malaysia | bahasa Malaysia (“Malaysian language”) OR bahasa Melayu (“Malay language”) |
| Singapore/Brunei | bahasa Melayu (“Malay language”) |
| Indonesia | bahasa Indonesia (“Indonesian language”) |
Of all the countries where Malay is used, Malaysia is definitely one with a rich culture!
50+ Malay Vocab For Daily Life To Know
Now that we’ve gone over where Malay is spoken, let’s start with 50+ vocabulary words and phrases in Malay and their meaning in English!
Greeting Vocabulary In Malay
Whenever you travel to any new country, it’s always good to know basic introductory phrases so that you can greet people! See some essential phrases in Malay below!
| English | Malay |
| Hi! | hai! |
| How are you? | apa khabar? |
| I am good. | saya bagus. |
| What is your name? | siapa nama awak? |
| My name is… | nama saya ialah… |
| Where are you from? | awak dari mana? |
| Nice to meet you! | selamat berkenalan! |
| See you later! | jumpa lagi! |
| See you tomorrow! | jumpa kamu esok! |
| Have a nice day! | semoga hari anda indah! |
| Goodbye! | selamat tinggal! |
| Thank you! | terima kasih! |
| You’re welcome! | sama sama! |
Malay Single Words
Once you’ve learned some introductory phrases to get you through your first conversations, it’s time to learn some specific words in Malay! Don’t worry. It’s not too hard!
| English | Malay |
| Me | saya |
| You | awak |
| She/Her | dia |
| He/Him | dia |
| They | sila |
| We | kita |
| Our | kami |
| Us | kami |
| It | nya |
| Yes | ya |
| No | tidak |
| Maybe | mungkin |
| Like | suka |
| Don’t like | tak suka |
| Today | hari ini |
| Yesterday | semalam |
| Tomorrow | esok |
| Money | wang |
| Price | harga |
| Translate | menterjemah |
Numbers In Malay
| English | Malay |
| One | satu |
| Two | dua |
| Three | tiga |
| Four | empat |
| Five | lima |
| Six | enam |
| Seven | tujuh |
| Eight | lapan |
| Nine | sembilan |
| Ten | sepuluh |
Malay Vocabulary For Apologies
Sometimes we make mistakes, or something unexpected happens. If that’s the case, it’s nice to know some apologetic words beforehand.
| English | Malay |
| Excuse me. | maafkan saya. |
| I’m sorry. | saya minta maaf. |
| No problem. | tiada masalah. |
| I understand. | saya faham. |
| I don’t understand. | saya tak faham. |
| No thank you. | tidak terima kasih. |
Common Questions To Ask In Malay
Traveling is an adventure, and adventures spark curiosity. Learn some common questions to ask in Malay here!
| English | Malay |
| Where is…? | di manakah…? |
| What time is it? | pukul berapa sekarang? |
| What is this? | apakah ini? |
| How much is it? | berapa harganya? |
| Do you like it? | awak sukakannya? |
| Do you have…? | adakah anda mempunyai…? |
| Where is the bathroom? | di mana tandas? |
Transporation Malay Vocabulary
No matter how you plan on getting around, you need to know some basic transportation vocabulary.
| English | Malay |
| I want to go to… | saya mahu pergi ke… |
| Airport | lapangan terbang |
| Taxi | teksi |
| Motorbike | motosikal |
| Car | kereta |
| Hotel | hotel |
| Market | pasaran |
| Go straight | pergi terus |
| Turn left | belok kiri |
| Turn right | belok kanan |
Emergency Vocabulary In Malay
You never know what can happen! That’s why we recommend that you either know or have a handy note in your wallet of emergency terms in Malay!
| English | Malay |
| Call an ambulance! | hubungi ambulans! |
| Help! | membantu! |
| I need to see a doctor. | saya perlu berjumpa doktor. |
| Where is the hospital? | di manakah hospital? |
| Please take me to the hospital. | tolong bawa saya ke hospital. |
| Please take me to the police. | tolong bawa saya ke polis. |
| I’m in pain. | saya dalam kesakitan. |
| I’m lost. | saya sesat. |
| I’m in danger. | saya dalam bahaya. |
Malay Restaurant Vocabulary
No matter what your plans are for the day, you need to eat! That’s why we’ve made a shortlist of some essential Malay vocabulary to know about eating!
| English | Malay |
| I would like to order… | saya ingin memesan… |
| I am hungry. | saya lapar. |
| I am thirsty. | saya dahaga. |
| I am a vegetarian. | saya seorang vegetarian. |
| Allergic/allergy | alahan |
| Spicy | pedas |
| Not spicy | tak pedas |
| Delicious | sedap |
| Water | air |
| Rice | nasi |
| Let’s eat! | jom makan! |
| Can I have the bill? | boleh says dapatkan bill? |
Special Malay Vocabulary
If you happen to meet someone while traveling or you already have someone, it’s helpful to know some sweet vocabulary about relationships!
| English | Malay |
| Darling | sayang |
| I love you | saya sayang awak |
| Friend | kawan |
| Friendship | persahabatan |
Why Should You Learn Malay?
First, Malay is spoken in many countries around Southeast Asia! This means that if you learn the language, you can use it in multiple countries!
Second, Malay uses the Latin alphabet. If your native language also uses the Latin alphabet, then learning Malay will be easier. But, all in all, it’s not a very difficult language to learn, especially because it’s not a tonal language like some of the other Southeast Asian languages!
Third, learning a language, no matter which one is beneficial in Alzheimer’s. Learning a language is a great way to keep your brain sharp as you get older!
Want To Learn Malay? Start With The Ling App!
Hopefully, this blog post has helped you learn about Malay vocab for daily life!
Are you interested in learning more about Malay? If so, we have the best language app to start with! The Ling app features real-life speakers to listen to, a chatbot to interact with, and numerous lessons to follow! So what are you waiting for? Use the Ling app today to learn more about the Malay language! Download it now on the Play Store or App Store.
