Greetings and Basic Phrases
Starting with greetings is always a good idea when learning a new language. Here are some common Malay phrases that will help you in everyday interactions:
1. Hello – Halo
2. Good morning – Selamat pagi
3. Good afternoon – Selamat tengah hari
4. Good evening – Selamat petang
5. Good night – Selamat malam
6. Goodbye – Selamat tinggal or Selamat jalan
7. Thank you – Terima kasih
8. You’re welcome – Sama-sama
9. Please – Tolong
10. Yes – Ya
11. No – Tidak
12. Excuse me / Sorry – Maaf
13. How are you? – Apa khabar?
14. I am fine – Saya sihat
Numbers and Counting
Numbers are fundamental in any language. Learning how to count in Malay will be incredibly useful, whether you’re shopping, traveling, or just getting to know people.
1. One – Satu
2. Two – Dua
3. Three – Tiga
4. Four – Empat
5. Five – Lima
6. Six – Enam
7. Seven – Tujuh
8. Eight – Lapan
9. Nine – Sembilan
10. Ten – Sepuluh
For numbers beyond ten, you can combine these basic numbers. For example:
– Eleven – Sebelas (Ten plus one)
– Twenty – Dua puluh (Two times ten)
– Thirty – Tiga puluh (Three times ten)
Days of the Week
Knowing the days of the week is essential for planning and understanding schedules. Here are the days in Malay:
1. Monday – Isnin
2. Tuesday – Selasa
3. Wednesday – Rabu
4. Thursday – Khamis
5. Friday – Jumaat
6. Saturday – Sabtu
7. Sunday – Ahad
Common Nouns
A solid vocabulary of common nouns will help you describe the world around you. Here are some nouns that will be helpful:
1. House – Rumah
2. Car – Kereta
3. Book – Buku
4. Table – Meja
5. Chair – Kerusi
6. Water – Air
7. Food – Makanan
8. Friend – Kawan
9. School – Sekolah
10. Market – Pasar
Common Verbs
Verbs are the action words that allow us to describe what we do. Here are some common Malay verbs:
1. To eat – Makan
2. To drink – Minum
3. To go – Pergi
4. To come – Datang
5. To see – Lihat
6. To read – Baca
7. To write – Tulis
8. To sleep – Tidur
9. To speak – Bercakap
10. To walk – Berjalan
Colors
Knowing colors can be very helpful, especially if you’re shopping or describing objects:
1. Red – Merah
2. Blue – Biru
3. Green – Hijau
4. Yellow – Kuning
5. Black – Hitam
6. White – Putih
7. Brown – Coklat
8. Purple – Ungu
9. Orange – Oren
10. Pink – Merah jambu
Family Members
Talking about family is common in everyday conversations. Here are the Malay words for various family members:
1. Father – Bapa or Ayah
2. Mother – Ibu or Emak
3. Brother – Abang (older) / Adik lelaki (younger)
4. Sister – Kakak (older) / Adik perempuan (younger)
5. Son – Anak lelaki
6. Daughter – Anak perempuan
7. Grandfather – Datuk
8. Grandmother – Nenek
9. Uncle – Pakcik
10. Aunt – Mak cik
Common Adjectives
Adjectives help us describe nouns. Here are some useful Malay adjectives:
1. Big – Besar
2. Small – Kecil
3. Tall – Tinggi
4. Short – Rendah
5. Hot – Panas
6. Cold – Sejuk
7. Good – Baik
8. Bad – Jahat
9. Happy – Gembira
10. Sad – Sedih
Questions and Interrogatives
Being able to ask questions is crucial in any language. Here are some interrogative words and phrases in Malay:
1. What – Apa
2. Who – Siapa
3. Where – Di mana
4. When – Bila
5. Why – Mengapa or Kenapa
6. How – Bagaimana
7. How much – Berapa
8. Which – Yang mana
Examples of questions:
– What is this? – Apa ini?
– Who are you? – Siapa anda?
– Where are you going? – Ke mana anda pergi?
– When is the meeting? – Bila mesyuarat?
– Why are you sad? – Kenapa anda sedih?
– How do you do this? – Bagaimana anda buat ini?
– How much is this? – Berapa harga ini?
– Which one do you prefer? – Yang mana anda suka?
Prepositions
Prepositions are words that link nouns, pronouns, or phrases to other parts of the sentence. Here are some common Malay prepositions:
1. In – Dalam
2. On – Di atas
3. Under – Di bawah
4. Behind – Di belakang
5. In front of – Di depan
6. Between – Di antara
7. Next to – Di sebelah
8. With – Dengan
9. Without – Tanpa
10. About – Tentang
Travel and Directions
If you plan to travel to a Malay-speaking country, these words and phrases will be particularly useful:
1. Airport – Lapangan terbang
2. Train station – Stesen kereta api
3. Bus stop – Perhentian bas
4. Hotel – Hotel
5. Restaurant – Restoran
6. Left – Kiri
7. Right – Kanan
8. Straight – Lurus
9. Near – Berhampiran
10. Far – Jauh
Examples of travel-related phrases:
– Where is the airport? – Di mana lapangan terbang?
– How do I get to the hotel? – Bagaimana saya sampai ke hotel?
– I need a taxi – Saya perlukan teksi
– Which bus goes to the city? – Bas mana yang pergi ke bandar?
Shopping and Money
Shopping can be a fun way to practice your Malay. Here are some words and phrases to help you:
1. How much? – Berapa?
2. Price – Harga
3. Expensive – Mahal
4. Cheap – Murah
5. Money – Wang
6. Shop – Kedai
7. Market – Pasar
8. Buy – Beli
9. Sell – Jual
10. Discount – Diskaun
Examples of shopping phrases:
– How much is this? – Berapa harga ini?
– Can I get a discount? – Boleh dapat diskaun?
– I want to buy this – Saya mahu beli ini
– Do you accept credit cards? – Adakah anda terima kad kredit?
Emergency Phrases
In case of emergencies, knowing a few phrases can be life-saving:
1. Help! – Tolong!
2. Call the police – Panggil polis
3. I need a doctor – Saya perlukan doktor
4. Fire! – Kebakaran!
5. I’m lost – Saya sesat
6. I need help – Saya perlukan bantuan
7. My phone is lost – Telefon saya hilang
8. Where is the hospital? – Di mana hospital?
9. I am sick – Saya sakit
10. I have an emergency – Saya ada kecemasan
Conclusion
Learning a new language is a journey that opens up new opportunities and enriches your life. By starting with these basic words and phrases, you’ll build a solid foundation in Malay. Practice these regularly, and don’t be afraid to use them in conversations. The more you practice, the more confident you’ll become. Selamat belajar! (Happy learning!)
