How to Pronounce Essential Malay Phrases – Learn something new every day!

A lot of Malaysians speak English, but if you can speak a few local phrases, it will place you right in the inner circles. It would be even better if you could get the pronunciation right. If you are an investor or a trade delegate trying to get in the good books of your business partner, it’s important that you try to fit in. The best way to do this is to learn a few choice Malay phrases that you can use in any situation.

Greeting

Malaysians take gratitude seriously, so when someone does something for you, even if you pay for it, you need to show your gratitude by saying thank you. While you can use the English word, the point is to let locals know that you respect their language, so using the Malay phrase is better.The Malay phrase for thank you is ‘terima kasih’. If a person utters ‘terima kasih’ to you, your reply’ should be ‘sɑmə sɑmə’, which is pronounced sama-sama. When the daily housekeeping knocks on your door when you are at a place like Ascott Sentral Kuala Lumpur, you can use these phrases to interact with the staff and express your gratitude for their services; it’s a good way to practise as well before you go off to your important business discussion.‘Selamat’ is the word used to greet someone, and it sounds like ‘suh-lah-mat’. This word isn’t used alone; the word is always followed by another. For example, if you want to say good morning, the Malaysian translation of that is ‘selamat pagi’ – pagi sounds like pag-ee.If you want to say farewell to someone, use the phrase ‘selamat jalan’, which has the meaning goodbye; it’s pronounced ‘sla-mat zha-lan’.‘Saya tak faham’ is a phrase that you simply cannot do without, especially if you intend to explore the country and mingle with locals. It means I don’t know, which is something you will have to say to locals who speak to you in Malay.

Directions

If you want to know where the restroom is,’ say ‘di mana tandas, and it sounds like dee ma-na tan-das. You will have to use this phrase quite often when you are out and about at restaurants and cafes.The Malaysian phrase for turn left is ‘belok kanan’, and to say turn right, use the phrase ‘belok kiri’. The pronunciations of these phrases are beh-lock kaa-naan and beh-lock kee-ree, respectively.To say go straight, use the phrase ‘jalan terus’; it sounds like zha-lan te-roos. Jalan has the meaning go, and terus means straight.If you are trying to catch up with someone who’s walking too fast, say ‘pe’rlahan sikit. This means slow down. If your taxi driver is driving too fast, you might have to use this phrase and also greet them with a smile to alleviate any hard feelings.These phrases will come in handy when you want to ask for directions for your hotel, or your Kuala Lumpur serviced apartment.

When at a restaurant

 There are a few phrases that you need to learn if you intend to dine out a lot.Let’s say you are trying to cut down your sugar intake; you need to say ‘kurang manis’. This means make it less sweet, and the pronunciation is koo-raang maa-nees. If you don’t want any sugar in your tea or coffee, say ‘tanpa gula’.To say less ice, use the phrase ‘kurang ais’, which sounds like koo-raang aa-is. And to say no milk, use the phrase ‘tanpa susu’, which is pronounced tan-pa soo-soo.

When at the market

To ask the price of something, say ‘berapa’; this means how much and sounds like be-raa-paa. If you want to refuse something because the price is too much, say ‘mahal’; this word has the meaning expensive and sounds like maa-hal.

A final word

Don’t stress too much about getting the pronunciation right. Most Malaysians will forgive you for not being able to pronounce something right but appreciate you for trying.