Note: The following are examples of Standard Malay in the Malaysian context, with some colloquial terms common to Malaysians and Singaporeans. These examples may also be used in Indonesia, in general.
Basic wordsThis - Ini / ni (colloquial)That - Itu / tu (colloquial)Am/Is/Are - Ialah | Adalah {Indonesian} (sometimes not required in a sentence. e.g. My name is Adam - Nama saya Adam)And - DanOr - AtauIf - Jika or KalauNow - SekarangLater - Kemudian or Nanti (also means wait)Like (similarity) - Seperti or Macam(Dis)like - (Tak) SukaMany/Few - Banyak / Sedikit or sikitMore/Less - Lebih/KurangBig/Small - Besar/KecilLong/Short - Panjang/Pendek /pɛndɛk/ (péndék)Fat/Thin - Gemuk/KurusFast - Cepat or Laju (speed)Slow - Lambat or Perlahan (speed)Early/Late - Awal/LewatPrepositions and directionsAt - DiBy (me) - Oleh /ɔːlɛh/ (o-layh)With - DenganFrom - Dari (used for places/things) or Daripada (used for people/establishment)To - Ke /kə/ (kuh)For - UntukHere/There - Sini/SanaInside/Outside - Dalam/LuarFront/Back - Depan/BelakangNext to - SebelahOpposite - SeberangUp/Down - Atas/BawahLeft/Right - Kiri/KananMiddle - Tengah (also means in the midst of)North/South/East/West - Utara/Selatan/Timur/BaratCentre - PusatGreetings and partingHow are you? - Apa khabar? | Apa kabar? {Indonesian}Welcome - Selamat datangGood morning - Selamat pagiGood day (after 10am to 3pm) - Selamat siang {Indonesian}Good afternoon (noon to 1pm) - Selamat tengah hariGood afternoon (1pm to 6pm) - Selamat petangGood afternoon (after 3pm to 6pm/before sunset) - Selamat sore {Indonesian}Good evening/night (after 6pm/when night falls) - Selamat malamGoodbye - No direct equivalent. Colloquially, bye-bye.Have a safe trip/journey (Bon voyage) - Selamat jalanSee you again - Jumpa lagi | Sampai jumpa lagi {Indonesian}Terms of addressI/Me - Saya or Aku (Saya is used in polite or formal conversation, whereas aku is used when speaking to peers or speaking in authority)You - Kamu or Awak (Just like in Aku, Awak is usually used when speaking with peers or speaking in authority), Engkau or Kau (Quite rude and infomal. Only use it with close friends)He/She/Him/Her - Dia (Malay does not use grammatical gender)They/Them - MerekaPerson - OrangMale/Man - Lelaki or Jantan (crude, usually used to refer to animals) | Laki-laki/Pria {Indonesian}Female - Perempuan or Betina (crude, usually used to refer to animals) | Cewek {Indonesian}Woman - WanitaChild - Budak | Anak {Indonesian} – note: in Indonesian languange, 'budak' means slave.Children - Budak-budak or Kanak-kanak | Anak-anak {Indonesian}Boy/Girl - Budak lelaki/perempuan | Anak laki-laki/perempuan {Indonesian}Mr - Encik | Bapak/Tuan {Indonesian}Mrs - No direct equivalent. Puan (madam) is usually used. | Ibu/Nyonya {Indonesian}Miss - Cik | Nona {Indonesian}Sir - TuanMadam - PuanFather - Bapa or Ayah (dad)Mother - Ibu or Emak/Mak (mum)Brother (elder) - Abang (Note: Malays, like most Asians, address their elder sibblings by term rather than by name)Sister (elder) - KakakElder Brother/Sister - Kakak {Indonesian} – the word 'abang' (elder brother) and 'kakak' (elder sister) is used in Sumatra dialect in Indonesia.Brother/Sister (younger) - Adik (gender neutral) (also used to address children when you don't know their names)Cousin - SepupuGrandfather - Datuk | Kakek {Indonesian}Grandmother - NenekUncle - Pak Cik (also used to address male elders of significant age gap as a sign of respect) | Paman {Indonesian} (most people use the word 'Oom', from Dutch language)Aunt - Mak Cik (female counterpart of Pak Cik) | Bibi {Indonesian} (most people use the word 'Tante', from Dutch language)Other people - Orang lainLocal - Orang tempatan or Orang sini (colloquial)Foreigner - Orang asing (also means a stranger)Thanks and apologyThank you - Terima kasihYou are welcome - Sama-samaSorry/Please forgive me - Minta maaf (ma-af - two syllables) | Maaf / Mohon maaf {Indonesian}ActionsDo - Buat | Lakukan {Indonesian}Give - Beri or BagiTake - AmbilGet - DapatWant - Hendak or Nak (colloquial) | Ingin {Indonesian}Talk/Say - Cakap | Bicara {Indonesian}Sell - JualBuy - BeliHelp - TolongWalk - JalanRun - LariGo in/out - Masuk/Keluar (also means entry/exit)Stay - TinggalGo (there) - Pergi (sana)Leave/return - Balik | Kembali {Indonesian}Questions, answers and requestWho/Whom - SiapaWhat - ApaWhen - Bila | Kapan {Indonesian}Where - ManaWhy - KenapaHow - Bagaimana or Macam mana (colloquial)Yes/No - Ya / Bukan or Tak/Tidak (depending on context)Can(not) - (Tak/Tidak) Boleh | Tidak bisa {Indonesian}Right/Wrong - Betul / Salah (or Tak/Tidak Betul)Right (truth) - BenarMay I ask - Boleh saya tanya or Tumpang tanya (colloquial)What is your name? My name is John. - Apa nama awak? Nama saya John. | Siapa nama anda? {Indonesian}Where is the toilet? - Tandas di mana? | Toilet / kamar kecil di mana? {Indonesian}Which one? - Yang mana satu? | Yang mana? {Indonesian}What is the price for this? - Berapa harganya?How much/How many? - Berapa?I want this/that - Saya nak ini/itu | Saya ingin/mau ini/itu {Indonesian}This/that one - Yang ini/itu.I (don't) want - Saya (tak) nak | Saya (tidak) ingin/mau {Indonesian}Give me this/that - Bagi saya ini/ituWait - Tunggu (Wait for me - Tunggu saya; Wait a moment - Tunggu sebentar)FoodEat - MakanFood - MakananDrink (verb) - MinumDrinks (noun) - MinumanWater - Air (ah-yer)Fruit - Buah (most fruits have the same pronunciation as per English fruit names)Vegetable - SayurEgg - TelurMeat - Daging (when speaking to an ethnic Malay, daging is the defacto for beef unless specified otherwise)Fish - IkanChicken - AyamCow - Lembu (beef - daging lembu) | Sapi (beef - daging sapi) {Indonesian}Goat - Kambing (mutton - daging kambing)Pig - Babi/Khinzir (pork - daging babi) (Be careful with the usage as it also can be used as an insult, and is deemed sensitive to the Muslims)Traffic and transportationRoad/Street - Jalan (other terms are also used: Lebuh, Persiaran, Changkat)Lane - Lorong | Gang {Indonesian}One-way street - Lorong/Jalan Sehala | Jalan satu arah {Indonesian}Highway/Expressway - Lebuhraya | Jalan raya {Indonesian}Stop/Go - Berhenti/JalanCaution - AwasKeep right/left - Ikut Kiri/Kanan | Tetap di kanan/kiri {Indonesian}Yield/Give way - Beri laluan | Beri jalan {Indonesian}Train - Tren, Keretapi | Kereta api {Indonesian}Bus - Bas | Bis/bus {Indonesian}Taxi - Teksi | Taksi {Indonesian}Car - Kereta | Mobil {Indonesian}Lorry - LoriMotorcycle - Motosikal | Motor / Sepeda motor {Indonesian}Air/Land/Sea - Udara/Darat/LautAeroplane - Kapal Terbang (literally flying ship) | Pesawat [terbang] {Indonesian}Airport - Lapangan Terbang | Bandara (abbrev. of 'bandar udara') {Indonesian}Boat/Ship - Bot/Kapal | Perahu/kapal {Indonesian}Seaport - PelabuhanPublic placesTown/City Centre - Pusat Bandar/Bandaraya | Kota / Pusat kota {Indonesian}Police Station - Balai Polis | Kantor Polisi (literally police office) {Indonesian}Hospital - Hospital | Rumah Sakit (literally sick house) {Indonesian}Clinic - KlinikFire station - Balai Bomba (Bomba means fire brigade) | Kantor pemadam kebakaran (pemadam kebakaran means fire brigade) {Indonesian}Post office - Pejabat Pos | Kantor pos {Indonesian}Toilet - Tandas / Bilik Air (water closet) is sometimes used | Toilet / kamar kecil (lit. small room) {Indonesian}Shop - Kedai | Toko {Indonesian}Restaurant - Restoran | Restoran / rumah makan (lit. eating house) {Indonesian}Food court - Medan Makanan or Medan Selera (colloquial, literally Appetite Court) | Food court / Pujasera (abbrev. of 'pusat jajan serba ada') {Indonesian}Food stall - Gerai MakananMosque - MasjidTemple (Chinese) - Tokong | Klenteng {Indonesian}Temple (Hindu) - Kuil | Pura (Balinese Hindu Temple) {Indonesian}Temple (non-Chinese Indonesian Bhuddhist temple) - Candi {Indonesian}Church - GerejaNumbers, Dates and Time
Numbers
1. satu, 2. dua, 3. tiga, 4. empat, 5. lima, 6. enam, 7. tujuh, 8. lapan | delapan {Ind}, 9. sembilan, 10. sepuluh11. sebelas, 12. dua belas, 13. tiga belas, 14. empat belas, …20. dua puluh, 21. dua puluh satu, 22, dua puluh dua, 23. dua puluh tiga, …30. tiga puluh, 31, tiga puluh satu, 32. tiga puluh dua, 33. tiga puluh tiga, …40. empat puluh, 50. lima puluh, 60. enam puluh, …100. satu ratus / seratus (literally a hundred), 200. dua ratus, 300. tiga ratus, …1000. satu ribu / seribu (a thousand), 2000. dua ribu, 3000. tiga ribu, …1 million. satu juta / sejuta (a million)
Dates
Day/Week/Month/Year - Hari/Minggu/Bulan/TahunDay of week (M,T,W,T,F,S,S) - Isnin | Senin {Ind}, Selasa, Rabu, Khamis | Kamis {Ind}, Jumaat | Jum'at {Ind}, Sabtu, Ahad | Minggu {Ind}Month - Januari, Februari, Mac | Maret {Ind}, April, Mei, Jun | Juni {Ind}, Julai | Juli {Ind}, Ogos | Agustus {Ind}, September, Oktober, November, Disember | Desember {Ind}Day before yesterday/Yesterday/Today/Tomorrow/Day after tomorrow - Kelmarin/Semalam/Hari ini/Esok/LusaDay before yesterday/Yesterday/Today/Tomorrow/Day after tomorrow - Kemarin dulu/Kemarin/Hari ini/Besok/LusaLast/Next year - Tahun lepas/depan | Tahun depan {Ind}
Time
Pagi (sunrise until before noon)Tengah hari (midday/noon)Petang (1pm - 6pm/before sunset)Malam (after 6pm/when night falls)Tengah malam (12am until before sunrise)Jam (hour/clock), Minit (minute), Saat (second) | Jam, Menit, Detik {Ind}Time: 11:32am (sebelas tiga puluh dua pagi), 4:15pm (empat suku petang - literally a quarter past four in the afternoon), 10:30pm (sepuluh setengah malam - literally half past ten at night), 12:45pm (dua belas tiga suku tengah malam - literally three quarter past twelve midnight)ColoursWhite - PutihBlack - HitamRed - MerahOrange - Jingga / OrenYellow - KuningGreen - HijauBlue - BiruPurple - UnguBrown - Perang / Coklat (colloquial)