Useful malay phrases for travelling to Malaysia

Most Malaysians speak at least two languages, mainly Bahasa Melayu and their own mother tongue, predominately many dialects of Chinese and Tamil (a south Indian language). But in this multi-cultural country, it would be no surprise to know that several speak all three and of course English.

Although English is spoken widely and remains the language of commerce, banking and international trade, the national language is, however, Bahasa Melayu. It is essential to know some useful yet simple phrases as you navigate away from ultra-modern city of Kuala Lumpur to smaller towns and exotic paradise along its coastline. Locals are more than helpful and accommodating if you speak to them in Bahasa Melayu, no matter how poorly. Your efforts will be much appreciated.

As a fluent speaker of Bahasa Melayu, I have prepared a short list which I believe will make your travelling easy.

Could you help me?
Bolehkah awak tolong saya?

I come from...
Saya datang dari...

I'm on holiday.
Saya sedang bercuti.

I have no small change.
Saya tidak ada duit kecil.

I want to make a phone call.
Saya mahu membuat panggilan telefon.

Can I have more...
Boleh tambah lagi...

Please show me the way to...
Tolong tunjukkan saya arah ke...

This food is delicious.
Makanan ini lazat.

How much is it?
Berapakah harganya?

Please give me a receipt.
Tolong beri saya resit.

Where is the toilet?
Di mana tandas?

Good morning
Selamat pagi

Good afternoon
Selamat tengahari

Good evening
Selamat petang

Good night
Selamat malam

Thank you
Terima kasih

Money changer
Pengurup wang

At restaurants, ordering of food is not much of a problem as most menus are illustrated. But just to have a feel of local terms used or maybe to impress a business associate, you can use these words below as a guide.

Eat
Makan

Drink
Minum

Rice
Nasi

Bread
Roti

Vegetables
Sayur

Fish
Ikan

Beef
Daging lembu

Chicken
Ayam

Prawn
Udang

Coffee
Kopi

Tea
Teh

Sugar
Gula

I would advise my foreign friends to carry a pocket sized calculator and use it to indicate amount they are willing to pay. It saves you from unnecessary miscommunication and price haggling. This is one trick I use when travelling to places when language is a huge barrier.

One
Satu

Two
Dua

Three
Tiga

Four
Empat

Five
Lima

Six
Enam

Seven
Tujuh

Eight
Lapan

Nine
Sembilan

Ten
Sepuluh

One Hundred
Seratus

One Thousand
Seribu

There is so much more to the list but for the meantime, I think it should be able to see you through your holidays in Malaysia. You can also choose to get a handy phrase guide at your local bookstore or online.