Learning a new language can be a daunting yet incredibly rewarding experience. If you’re just beginning your journey with the Malay language, you’re in for an exciting adventure! Malay, or Bahasa Melayu, is a beautiful and expressive language spoken by millions of people in Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, and Singapore. To get you started on the right foot, we’ve compiled a list of 50 essential words that every A1 level learner should know. These words will provide a solid foundation for your vocabulary and help you navigate basic conversations in Malay.
Basic Greetings and Phrases
1. **Hello** – Halo
– A universal greeting that will be understood anywhere.
2. **Good morning** – Selamat pagi
– Use this greeting to start your day on a positive note.
3. **Good afternoon** – Selamat tengah hari
– A polite way to greet someone in the afternoon.
4. **Good evening** – Selamat petang
– Use this greeting in the evening.
5. **Good night** – Selamat malam
– A warm way to wish someone a good night.
6. **Goodbye** – Selamat tinggal
– This phrase is used when you’re leaving.
7. **Thank you** – Terima kasih
– Showing gratitude is always appreciated.
8. **You’re welcome** – Sama-sama
– A polite response to “thank you.”
9. **Yes** – Ya
– A simple affirmation.
10. **No** – Tidak
– A straightforward negation.
Numbers and Counting
11. **One** – Satu
– The starting point of all numbers.
12. **Two** – Dua
– The second number.
13. **Three** – Tiga
– The third number.
14. **Four** – Empat
– The fourth number.
15. **Five** – Lima
– The fifth number.
16. **Six** – Enam
– The sixth number.
17. **Seven** – Tujuh
– The seventh number.
18. **Eight** – Lapan
– The eighth number.
19. **Nine** – Sembilan
– The ninth number.
20. **Ten** – Sepuluh
– The tenth number.
Days of the Week
21. **Monday** – Isnin
– The start of the workweek.
22. **Tuesday** – Selasa
– The second day of the week.
23. **Wednesday** – Rabu
– Midweek day.
24. **Thursday** – Khamis
– The fourth day of the week.
25. **Friday** – Jumaat
– The last working day of the week.
26. **Saturday** – Sabtu
– The first day of the weekend.
27. **Sunday** – Ahad
– The last day of the week.
Basic Verbs
28. **To eat** – Makan
– An essential verb for any food-related conversation.
29. **To drink** – Minum
– Another crucial verb for discussing beverages.
30. **To go** – Pergi
– Useful for talking about travel or movement.
31. **To come** – Datang
– Important for inviting or mentioning arrivals.
32. **To see** – Lihat
– Essential for describing visual experiences.
33. **To speak** – Bercakap
– A key verb for any conversation.
34. **To live** – Tinggal
– Useful for talking about where you reside.
35. **To like** – Suka
– Important for expressing preferences.
36. **To love** – Cinta
– A stronger way to express affection.
37. **To need** – Perlu
– Useful for expressing necessity.
Common Nouns
38. **House** – Rumah
– A basic word for talking about living spaces.
39. **Car** – Kereta
– Essential for discussing transportation.
40. **Food** – Makanan
– A general term for anything edible.
41. **Water** – Air
– A basic necessity for survival.
42. **Friend** – Kawan
– Important for discussing relationships.
43. **Family** – Keluarga
– A key word for talking about loved ones.
44. **School** – Sekolah
– Essential for discussing education.
45. **Work** – Kerja
– Useful for talking about your job or tasks.
46. **Market** – Pasar
– Important for discussing shopping or trade.
47. **Doctor** – Doktor
– Useful for health-related conversations.
Adjectives and Descriptions
48. **Good** – Baik
– A basic adjective for positive descriptions.
49. **Bad** – Buruk
– Useful for negative descriptions.
50. **Beautiful** – Cantik
– A compliment for people or scenery.
Conclusion
Learning these 50 essential words will give you a solid foundation in Malay and help you navigate basic conversations with ease. Practice these words regularly, and don’t be afraid to use them in real-life situations. The more you practice, the more confident you will become. Selamat belajar (Happy learning)!
