1. Go here for an article in Indonesian to see how similar it is to Malay.
2. Common Indonesian words that are completely different from Malay (List 1-4)
3. Differences in spelling between Malay and Indonesian words
4. Country names in Indonesian and Malay
5. English words in Indonesian
6. Sentences to translate into Indonesian
7. Acronyms in Indonesian words
8. Of interest to linguists: Prof. Dato' Dr. Asmah Haji Omar on the Malay Spelling Reform
Learn Indonesian with Malay © pgoh13
How is it possible to study Indonesian with Malay? Well, it is possible because they are practically the same language! So when you study the 64 lessons of the Basic Malay Language course here it is just like you are learning the Indonesian language. Except, yes except for the few differences that are brought up here in relation to each of the lessons in the Malay language course. Plus the many tables that I have compiled to make it easier for you to cross over from Malay to Indonesian. Isn't that fantastic?
So let's start your study of Indonesian by going to Lesson 1 of the Basic Malay Language Course here. At the end of each lesson you will see a table highlighting the differences between Malay and Indonesian. Just take note of these differences and as you continue with the other lessons in the course you will be on your way to studying Indonesian as well. To facilitate the study of Indonesian by those who have already completed the Basic Malay Language Course I have put all the tables together here for easy reference. But please bear in mind that they are not at all meant to be studied by themselves without first having gone through the specific lessons to which they refer. This is not how this page is intended to be used.
Please bear in mind also that in certain cases there is no real distinction between the Malaysian and Indonesian languages. In fact it is reported that there are over two million Indonesian workers in Malaysia* (the majority working as housemaids, others are employed in the agriculture, construction or manufacturing sectors), most of whom don't speak English. This naturally results in the adoption (and absorption) of many Indonesian words into the Malay language. In fact there is often no real line of demarcation between what is considered to be an Indonesian word and what is a Malay word. Thus both aku and saya are equally used for "I" in the two countries though Indonesia tends to use aku more than saya. It is for this reason that I often use aku in the Indonesian column and saya in the Malay column.
But there are other words that are exclusively used in one country and not in the other or do not have the same signification in Malaysia as they have in Indonesia. Take the word duduk as an example. In Malaysia the word can mean both "sit" and "live, stay" eg. You can ask someone Encik duduk di mana? and he is likely to tell you where he lives but if you were to ask the same question to an Indonesian who is seated in his office Bapak duduk di mana? he will be completely puzzled because in Indonesia the word duduk can only mean "sit" (although it also has this meaning in Malaysia). His reaction would probably be (thinking to himself): You must be crazy. Why are you asking me this? I'm sitting on a chair - of course!
So unless you want to be considered an orang gila (mad person, gila is pronounced as ghee-la) remember this when you are in Indonesia! Use the word tinggal instead as it has the same meaning in both countries. So Encik tinggal di mana? in Malaysia and Bapak tinggal di mana? in Indonesia both mean "Where do you live?"
Yet another word that has a completely different meaning depending on whether it is used in Malaysia or in Indonesia is banci. In Malaysia it can only mean census i.e. the counting of a country's population. In Indonesia, however, it denotes a transvestite! They prefer to use the English word but spelt the Indonesian way i.e. sensus to talk about a census.
Another striking difference is that if someone were to say Terima kasih (Thank you) to you in Malaysia, you would answer with Sama-sama whereas in Indonesia you would say Terima kasih kembali or simply Kembali.
There is one word frequently used in Indonesia though which could make your face turn red with embarrassment in Malaysia if you should use it wrongly so watch out. The word is butuh and it means "to need" in Indonesia eg. Saya butuh pertolongan anda (= I need your help) while in Malaysia the word butuh means a man's private part! In Malaysia you have to use the word perlu instead so the same sentence would be Saya perlu pertolongan anda in Malaysia. Oh, by the way, a word which is as frequently used as pertolongan in both countries is bantuan, also meaning "help" or "assistance". Good to remember in case you come across it.
Another word you have to watch out for is punggung which in Indonesia means your back so "I have a backache" would be Saya sakit punggung whereas in Malaysia it means your buttocks!
Then there is kaki lima which means a pavement or sidewalk in Malaysia but is used to describe an itinerant food hawker in Indonesia.
A word about pronunciation: Don't worry too much about the pronunciation as you will be understood if you speak Malay in Indonesia. Of course there are different Indonesian accents, much of which is the result of influence by the numerous regional dialects, but if you should speak basic Malay, you will be understood without any problem.
* Article in The Jakarta Post dated 7 May, 2012.
This page contains all the tables outlining the differences between the Malaysian and Indonesian languages from the Basic Malay Language Course of 64 lessons. They will give you an idea on how this Basic Malay language course is adapted for those who want to study Indonesian. The tables below are NOT meant to be studied by themselves. You will never be able to learn Indonesian this way!
The explanation and table below comes from Lesson 1 of pgoh13's Basic Malay Language Course.
Quite often there is a slight difference in spelling between Malaysian and Indonesian words, particularly in words containing double consonants. If my memory serves me right Malaysian linguists at some time in the past rejected the use of double consonants, insisting that there should always be a vowel between them. As a result while the Indonesian spelling is Inggris, the Malaysian spelling is Inggeris. The same is true for istri (isteri in Malaysia) and Spanyol (Sepanyol in Malaysia). This is due to the difficulty for some Malaysians to pronounce two consonants together. However if this is not a problem for you, you can always pronounce Inggeris or isteri not in 3 syllables but in two (the way it is spelt in Indonesian).
Please bear in mind that what you hear in Indonesia might not always be standard Indonesian but rather one of the numerous dialects (Javanese, Sundanese, Madurese, Minangkabau, Bugis, Acehnese, Balinese, Batak, etc.) |
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
|---|
| friend |
teman |
kawan |
| He/She is my friend. |
Dia teman saya. |
Dia kawan saya. |
| his friend or her friend |
temannya |
kawannya |
| all of you |
kalian, anda sekalian |
kamu semuanya |
| Addressing a man (politely) |
Bapak or Pak |
Tuan or Encik |
| Addressing a woman (politely) |
Ibu or Bu, Tante |
Puan |
| Addressing a young male person of your age or slightly older |
Mas |
Saudara, Abang |
| Addressing a young female person of your age or slightly older |
Nona, Mbak (embak) |
Saudari, Cik, Kakak |
| Addressing a child of either sex |
Dik |
Adik/Dik |
Lesson 2 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| to speak |
bicara (or bertutur) |
cakap |
| can |
bisa |
boleh |
| I can speak English. |
Aku bisa bicara bahasa Inggris |
Saya boleh cakap bahasa Inggeris. |
| wife |
istri |
isteri |
| car |
mobil |
kereta |
| man |
pria |
orang lelaki |
Lesson 3 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| This is my car. |
Ini mobil saya. |
Ini kereta saya. |
| This is my wife. |
Ini istri saya. |
Ini isteri saya. |
Lesson 4 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| United States of America |
Amerika Serikat |
Amerika Syarikat |
| Spanish |
Spanyol |
Sepanyol |
| Japan |
Jepang |
Jepun |
| Sweden |
Swedia |
Sweden |
| Swedish |
orang Swedia |
orang Sweden |
| England |
Inggris |
England |
| Italy |
Italia |
Itali |
| As you will notice there are not too many differences in the names of the countries mentioned in this lesson. However while Malay normally retains the English spelling of a country, Indonesian often changes the spelling a bit. Examples are: Skotlandia (Scotland in Malay) and Irlandia (Ireland in Malay). One country that you might not recognize is "Selandia Baru", which is Indonesian for New Zealand (Malay retains the English name). |
Lesson 5 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| What is your telephone number? |
Apa nomor telepon anda? |
Apa nombor telefon kamu? |
| zero |
nol |
kosong |
| eight |
delapan |
lapan |
| We won by 3-0. |
Kami menang dengan tiga nol. |
Kami menang dengan tiga kosong. |
Lesson 6 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| How many times did he phone? |
Berapa kali dia telepon? |
Berapa kali dia telefon? |
| All these cars have been sold. |
Semua mobil ini sudah dijual. |
Semua kereta ini sudah dijual. |
| Those people are waiting for the bus. |
Orang-orang itu tunggu bis. |
Orang-orang itu tunggu bas. |
| He has many friends. |
Dia ada banyak teman. |
Dia ada banyak kawan. |
Lesson 7 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| Monday |
hari Senin |
hari Isnin |
| Thursday |
hari Kamis |
hari Khamis |
| Friday |
hari Jumat |
hari Jumaat |
| My wife always goes to market on Sundays. |
Istri saya selalu pergi ke pasar pada hari Minggu. |
Isteri saya selalu pergi ke pasar pada hari Minggu. |
| Happy birthday! |
Selamat ulang tahun! |
Selamat hari jadi! |
| festival day |
hari libur |
hari besar |
| He did not go to his office today because he is on sick leave. |
Dia tidak pergi ke kantornya hari ini karena cuti sakit. |
Dia tidak pergi ke pejabatnya hari ini kerana cuti sakit. |
| school holidays |
liburan sekolah |
cuti sekolah |
| I can speak Malay. |
Saya bisa berbicara Bahasa Melayu. |
Saya boleh bercakap Bahasa Melayu. |
Lesson 8 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| number |
nomor |
nombor |
| zero |
nol |
kosong |
Lesson 9 of Basic Malay Language Course.
If there is one aspect that varies greatly between the Malaysian and Indonesian languages it is in telling the time.
Firstly in Malaysia when we ask the time it is Pukul berapa? and the answer also starts with Pukul followed by the hour while in Indonesia they ask Jam berapa? with the answer starting with Jam followed not necessarily by the hour (eg. it can be Jam setengah followed by the hour).
Secondly the half-hour is completely different from what is said in Malaysia. Thus half-past seven would be Pukul tujuh setengah to Malaysians whereas the Indonesians would say Jam setengah lapan. Since we could miss an appointment completely by one hour or we might be one whole hour too early for an appointment it is very important that we get this right when we are in Indonesia. It is easy to understand that Jam setengah lapan means "half past seven" and not "half past eight" simply because setengah (meaning "half") comes BEFORE lapan (eight) so it must be half an hour BEFORE 8 o'clock and not after it. But as it is a bit difficult for English speakers to adapt to this way of thinking (ah, cultural differences do count in language learning!) it is perfectly all right for you, on your part, to say Jam tujuh tiga puluh minit if it's easier for you.
Thirdly while a quarter of an hour is suku in Bahasa Malaysia, it is seperempat (literally "one out of four parts") in Bahasa Indonesia. Both words mean "a quarter" of something. But if seperempat is too much of a mouthful for you, just say lima belas menit instead. It's clear, concise and you will not be misunderstood. Just as in English 10h15 can be either "a quarter past ten" or simply "ten fifteen" we can say Jam sepuluh lewat seperempat or Jam sepuluh lewat lima belas menit in Bahasa Indonesia and Pukul sepuluh suku or Pukul sepuluh lima belas minit in Malaysia.
Fourthly the use of the word lewat (sometimes the word lebih meaning "more" is used instead) in telling time in Indonesia. In Malaysia the word lewat is used in the sense of being late for an event and never used to tell the time as in Indonesia. The word lewat simply means "past" and is used up to the 29th minute past the hour. For English speakers when you hear the word lewat you can just ignore it, thus when you hear Jam sembilan lewat dua puluh lima menit just treat it as Jam sembilan dua puluh lima menit (nine twenty-five). Why complicate things when we can simplify them? So, to give another example, treat Jam lima lewat sembilan belas menit as Jam lima sembilan belas menit (five nineteen). This is just between the two of us, please don't try to correct the Indonesians! If you want to specify whether it is morning or evening, etc. you can add pagi, siang, sore or malam to it.
After the half hour you can use kurang to indicate the number of minutes short of the hour mentioned eg. 07h50 or 19h50 ("ten to eight" in English) is Pukul lapan kurang sepuluh minit in Malaysia and Jam delapan kurang sepuluh menit in Indonesia (literally "eight o'clock short of 10 minutes").
A word about punctuality. When you want to specify that an event starts precisely at a certain time the word to use is tepat (both in Malaysia and Indonesia). Thus Pukul dua tepat or Jam dua tepat means "2 o'clock sharp". In Indonesia (but not in Malaysia) they have a term to denote the opposite concept (i.e. when the time given is just an approximation and you are not required nor expected to be on time nor should you expect the other person to be punctual either). In this case they will use the term jam karet which is another way of saying "Let's play it cool, buddy. Let's take our own sweet time to arrive!" |
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| six o'clock in the evening |
jam enam sore |
pukul enam petang |
| What time is it now? |
Jam berapa sekarang? |
Pukul berapa sekarang? |
| ten minutes |
sepuluh menit |
sepuluh minit |
| police |
polisi |
polis |
| that |
bahwa |
bahawa |
| month of March |
bulan Maret |
bulan Mac |
| one quarter |
seperempat |
suku |
| a quarter past five (5h15) |
jam lima lewat seperempat |
pukul lima suku |
| at eight twenty (8h20) |
pada jam delapan lewat dua puluh |
pada pukul lapan dua puluh |
| nine forty-five (9h45) |
jam sepuluh kurang seperempat |
pukul sembilan tiga suku |
| half-past seven (7h30) |
jam setengah delapan |
pukul tujuh setengah |
Lesson 10 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| March |
Maret |
Mac |
| June |
Juni |
Jun |
| July |
Juli |
Julai |
| August |
Agustus |
Ogos |
| December |
Desember |
Disember |
| The postcard which has just been received was dated 30 March 2014. |
Kartu pos yang baru saja diterima ini bertanggal 30 Maret 2014. |
Poskad yang baru saja diterima ini bertarikh 30 Mac 2014. |
Lesson 11 of Basic Malay Language Course.
In the Indonesian language the two principal forms of salutation not used in Malaysia are Selamat siang and Selamat sore. The word siang means "daytime" (specifically late morning or early afternoon) while sore means "late in the afternoon". The word sore (pronounced so-ray) is never used by Malaysians (but might be eventually, who knows?)
As in Malaysia Selamat pagi and Selamat malam are equally used in Indonesia while instead of Selamat tengah hari the Indonesians would say Selamat siang. The following is a guide to the time of day when the above four types of greetings are used in Indonesia:
From about 4.00 a.m. to 10 a.m. Selamat pagi
From about 10.00 a.m. to 3 p.m. Selamat siang
From about 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Selamat sore
From about 6 p.m. to 4 a.m. Selamat malam
This is just a rough guide for foreigners. Hey, don't take it to the letter please (or should I rather say "Don't take it to the very minute please"?) |
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| How are you? |
Apa kabar? |
Apa khabar? |
| I'm fine. |
Baik-baik saja. |
Khabar baik. |
| See you later. |
Sampai jumpa or Sampai nanti. |
Jumpa lagi. |
| Excuse me (as when you have to pass between two people). |
Permisi. |
Maafkan saya. |
| grandfather |
kakek |
datuk |
| Merry Christmas |
Selamat Hari Natal |
Selamat Hari Krismas |
| Happy birthday! |
Selamat ulang tahun! |
Selamat hari jadi! |
Lesson 12 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| orange (colour) |
oranye or jingga |
oren or jingga |
| orange (fruit) |
buah jeruk |
buah oren |
| Caucasian |
orang kulit putih |
orang putih |
| What is the colour of your car? |
Apa warna mobil anda? |
Apa warna kereta anda? |
| My car is blue. |
Mobil saya biru. |
Kereta saya biru. |
| card |
kartu |
kad |
| Zidane received a red card. |
Zidane mendapat kartu merah. |
Zidane mendapat kad merah. |
| Italy |
Italia |
Itali |
Lesson 13 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| to marry |
kawin |
kahwin |
| elder brother |
kakak (kakak laki-laki) |
abang |
| elder sister |
kakak perempuan |
kakak |
| youngest child |
anak bungsu |
anak bongsu |
| That red car is his. |
Mobil yang merah itu dia punya. |
Kereta yang merah itu dia punya. |
Lesson 14 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| He wants to buy my car. |
Dia hendak beli mobil aku. |
Dia hendak beli kereta saya. |
| I want to go to the airport. |
Saya hendak pergi ke bandara (= bandar udara). |
Saya hendak pergi ke lapangan terbang. |
| station |
stasiun |
stesen |
| I want to go to the railway station. |
Saya hendak pergi ke stasiun kereta api. |
Saya hendak pergi ke stesen kereta api. |
| office |
kantor |
pejabat |
| I want to go to the post office. |
Saya hendak pergi ke kantor pos. |
Saya hendak pergi ke pejabat pos. |
| money |
uang |
wang |
| He is unwilling to lend me some money. |
Dia enggan meminjamkan uang kepada aku. |
Dia enggan meminjamkan wang kepada saya. |
Lesson 15 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| See you later! |
Sampai jumpa! |
Jumpa lagi! |
| I am going to call the police. |
Saya akan panggil polisi. |
Saya akan panggil polis. |
| weekend |
akhir pekan, akhir minggu |
hujung minggu |
| "pada pekan lalu" in Indonesian means "last week" |
Lesson 16 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| doctor |
dokter |
doktor |
| If you are sick, go and see a doctor. |
Kalau sakit pergi jumpa dokter. |
Kalau sakit pergi jumpa doktor. |
| understand |
paham |
faham |
Lesson 17 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| yesterday |
kemarin |
kelmarin |
| end |
ujung |
hujung |
| to marry |
kawin |
kahwin |
| next year |
tahun depan |
tahun hadapan |
| to invite |
mengundang |
menjemput |
| I would like to invite you to my house. |
Aku hendak mengundang anda ke rumahku. |
Saya hendak menjemput anda ke rumah saya. |
| happy |
senang |
gembira |
| to return home (to one's village) |
pulang kampung |
balik kampung |
Lesson 18 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| You cannot smoke here. |
Anda tidak boleh isap rokok di sini. |
Anda tidak boleh hisap rokok di sini. |
Lesson 19 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| meaning |
arti |
erti |
| any |
sembarang |
sebarang |
| free time, leisure |
waktu luang |
masa lapang |
| like to go window-shopping |
suka cuci-cuci mata di toko |
suka menengok-nengok barang di kedai |
| I like to go to the cinema. |
Aku suka pergi ke bioskop. |
Saya suka pergi ke panggung wayang. |
| return to one's hometown |
pulang kampung |
balik kampung |
| music |
musik |
muzik |
Lesson 20 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| Please excuse me for arriving late. |
Maafkan aku karena datang lambat. |
Maafkan saya kerana datang lambat. |
| Excuse me, sir. What is the name of this road? |
Maafkan saya, Pak. Apa nama jalan ini? |
Maafkan saya, tuan. Apa nama jalan ini? |
| I don't understand. |
Aku tidak paham. |
Saya tidak faham. |
| Excuse me (when forcing your way) |
Permisi. |
Maaf. |
Lesson 21 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| room |
kamar |
bilik |
| washroom |
kamar kecil, WC (pronounced way say) |
bilik air |
| shoes |
sepatu |
kasut |
| office |
kantor |
pejabat |
| post office |
kantor pos |
pejabat pos |
| bathroom |
kamar mandi |
bilik mandi |
| bag |
tas |
beg |
| bus-stop |
halte bis |
perhentian bas |
| airport |
bandara (bandara is the short form for "bandar udara") |
lapangan terbang |
| railway station |
stasiun kereta api |
stesen kereta api |
| Where is the bus-stop? |
Di mana halte bis? |
Di mana perhentian bas? |
| Where is the airport? |
Di mana bandara? |
Di mana lapangan terbang? |
| Where is the railway station? |
Di mana stasiun kereta api? |
Di mana stesen kereta api? |
| city |
kota |
bandar |
| Can I get a lift in your car to the city? |
Boleh saya tumpang mobil anda ke kota? |
Boleh saya tumpang kereta anda ke bandar? |
Lesson 22 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| Yippee, there is no difference at all between Malay and Indonesian for numbers except that while Malay uses "lapan" for 8, Indonesia uses "delapan". |
| eight (8) |
delapan |
lapan |
| eighty (80) |
delapan puluh |
lapan puluh |
| eighteen (18) |
delapan belas |
lapan belas |
| billion |
milyar, miliar |
bilion |
Lesson 23 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| My wife likes to eat prawns. |
Istri saya suka makan udang. |
Isteri saya suka makan udang. |
| We eat rice every day. (the "we exclusive") |
Kami makan nasi sehari-hari |
Kami makan nasi tiap-tiap hari. |
| beef |
daging sapi |
daging lembu |
| mutton |
daging biri-biri |
daging kambing |
| papaya |
pepaya |
betik |
| watermelon |
semangka |
tembikai |
| fried noodles |
mie goreng |
mi goreng |
| restaurant |
rumah makan |
kedai makanan |
| manggo |
mangga |
mempelam |
| lunch |
makan siang |
makan tengah hari |
| Although Indonesia has its own culinary delights (equally chilli-based), saté and rendang are as popular there as they are in Malaysia as well as the more down-to-earth nasi goreng (fried rice) and ikan goreng (fried fish). In case you are a foodnatic go here for some great Indonesian dishes. |
Lesson 24 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| He drinks milk every morning. |
Dia minum susu setiap pagi. |
Dia minum susu tiap-tiap pagi. |
| wine |
minuman anggur |
wain |
| want |
mau |
mahu, mau |
| to chat |
mengobrol |
bersembang |
| shoe shop |
toko sepatu |
kedai kasut |
| I shall be going to the shoe shop tomorrow. |
Saya akan pergi ke toko sepatu esok. |
Saya akan pergi ke kedai kasut esok. |
| ice |
es |
ais |
Lesson 25 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| passport |
paspor |
pasport |
| because |
karena |
kerana |
Lesson 26 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| speak |
berbicara |
bercakap |
| pen |
pena |
pen |
Lesson 27 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| postman |
tukang pos |
posmen |
| examination |
pemeriksaan |
peperiksaan |
Lesson 28 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| friend |
teman |
kawan |
| bus |
bis |
bas |
| aeroplane |
pesawat terbang |
kapal terbang |
| He doesn't quite like taking a plane. |
Dia tidak berapa suka naik pesawat terbang. |
Dia tidak berapa suka naik kapal terbang. |
| petrol |
bensin |
petrol |
| The price of petrol has gone up. |
Harga bensin sudah naik. |
Harga petrol sudah naik. |
| taxi |
taksi |
teksi |
| I very rarely go to the dance-hall. |
Saya jarang sekali pergi ke ruang dansa. |
Saya jarang sekali pergi ke dewan tari-menari. |
Lesson 29 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| clerk |
juru tulis |
kerani |
| Hello, Peter here. Who's calling? |
Halo, Peter di sini. Ini siapa? |
Helo, Peter di sini. Siapa itu? |
| Who is that man? |
Siapa pria itu? |
Siapa orang lelaki itu? |
| He is searching for his car keys. |
Dia sedang mencari kunci mobilnya. |
Dia sedang mencari kunci keretanya. |
| This is for my father. |
Ini untuk bapak saya. |
Ini untuk bapa saya. |
| elder brother |
kakak lelaki |
abang |
| elder sister |
kakak perempuan |
kakak |
| aunt |
tante, bibi |
emak saudara, mak cik |
| uncle |
paman, om, oom |
bapa saudara, pak cik |
| grandfather |
kakek |
datuk |
| nephew |
keponakan lelaki |
anak saudara lelaki |
| niece |
keponakan perempuan |
anak saudara perempuan |
| father-in-law |
mertua lelaki |
bapa mertua |
| mother-in-law |
mertua perempuan, ibu mertua |
ibu mertua |
| brother-in-law (older than you) |
kakak ipar lelaki |
abang ipar |
| sister-in-law (older) |
kakak ipar perempuan |
kakak ipar |
| step-father |
bapak tiri |
bapa tiri |
| While both anak lelaki (son) and anak perempuan (daughter) are also used in Indonesia, please note that putra (for son) and putri (for daughter) are also much used in Indonesia though the two words normally mean "prince" and "princess". From the above you can see that terms denoting family relationships are quite different depending on whether you are in Malaysia or Indonesia. However half of them are similar in both countries (all those terms that do not appear in this table). |
Lesson 30 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| cold |
dingin |
sejuk |
| I'm cold. |
Aku kedinginan/Aku rasa dingin. |
Saya sejuk. |
| a cup |
cangkir |
cawan |
| Please give me a cup of coffee |
Tolong beri saya secangkir kopi |
Tolong beri saya secawan kopi |
| Caucasian |
orang kulit putih |
orang putih |
Lesson 31 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| What are you doing? |
Anda sedang apa? |
Anda sedang buat apa? |
| When I entered his office he was reading a newspaper. |
Ketika aku masuk ke dalam kantornya dia sedang baca koran. |
Bila saya masuk ke dalam pejabatnya dia sedang baca surat khabar. |
Lesson 32 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| elder brother |
kakak lelaki |
abang |
| badminton |
bulutangkis |
badminton |
| My elder brother likes to play badminton. |
Kakak lelaki saya suka main bulutangkis. |
Abang saya suka main badminton. |
| a film/movie |
film |
filem/wayang gambar |
| I love you. |
Aku mencintaimu. |
Saya cinta padamu. |
| girlfriend |
pacar perempuan |
teman wanita |
| I love my boyfriend. |
Saya cinta pacar lelaki saya |
Saya cinta teman lelaki saya. |
| marry |
kawin |
kahwin |
Lesson 33 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| important |
penting |
mustahak |
| This is very important. |
Ini sangat penting. |
Ini sangat mustahak. |
| Note that "penting" is as much used as "mustahak" in Malaysia. |
Lesson 34 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| Please sit. |
Silahkan duduk. |
Sila duduk. |
| Can I enter? |
Bisa saya masuk? |
Boleh saya masuk? |
| Please note that "Silahkan" is also spelt "Silakan" in Indonesian. |
| Please drink. |
Silahkan minum. |
Sila minum. |
| Please come to my house when you are free. |
Jemputlah ke rumah saya bila anda ada waktu. |
Sila datang ke rumah saya bila senang. |
| Please note that "senang" means "happy" in Indonesian while it means "free" (not busy) as well as "easy" (simple) in Malaysia. The word "gampang" is often used to mean "easy" (simple) in Indonesian while another word "mudah" is used in both countries to mean "easy". |
| Make yourself at home. |
Anggap saja di rumah sendiri. |
Buat seperti di rumah sendiri. |
| Can I borrow your pen for a moment? |
Dapatkah saya meminjam pena anda sebentar? |
Boleh saya pinjam pen anda sekejap? |
| Please don't worry too much trying to keep Indonesian and Malay apart. You will notice that the Indonesian and Malay sentences are quite often interchangeable and that there is no real line of demarcation between the two languages. It is just that one form might be more often used than another in Indonesia or in Malaysia, that's all there is to it. |
Lesson 35 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| my son |
anak lelaki saya |
putera saya |
| My daughter is (already) married. |
Anak perempuan saya sudah kawin. |
Anak perempuan saya sudah kahwin. |
Lesson 36 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| this morning |
tadi pagi |
pagi ini |
| last night |
tadi malam |
malam tadi |
| He was angry with me just now because I didn't help him. |
Dia marah dengan aku tadi karena aku tidak membantunya. |
Dia marah dengan saya tadi kerana saya tidak tolong dia. |
| He will be back soon. |
Dia akan kembali sebentar lagi. |
Dia akan balik sekejap lagi. |
| I'm tired. |
Saya capek. |
Saya penat. |
| At the risk of repeating myself please note that there is often no real line of demarcation between the two languages and that the Indonesian and Malay sentences in my examples above are often interchangeable. So if a word is put under Indonesian or Malay it does not mean that that word is not also used in the other country. It simply means that that word is more popularly used in one country than in the other, that's all. |
Lesson 37 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| I don't understand. |
Saya tidak mengerti. |
Saya tidak faham. |
| understand |
mengerti/paham |
faham |
| It doesn't matter. |
Tidak apa-apa. |
Tidak apa. |
| He has no money. |
Dia tidak punya uang. |
Dia tidak ada wang. |
| My office is not far from here. |
Kantor saya tidak jauh dari sini. |
Pejabat saya tidak jauh dari sini. |
Note: "enggak" is often used in the place of "tidak" in Indonesian. Thus "Aku enggak takut" means "I am not afraid".
In August 2018 one Malaysian ringgit was worth 3,580 Indonesian Rupiah. |
Lesson 38 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| window |
jendela |
tingkap |
Lesson 39 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| He is saving money to buy a new car. |
Dia simpan uang untuk beli mobil baru. |
Dia simpan wang untuk beli kereta baru. |
| important |
penting |
mustahak |
Lesson 40 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| Which pen is yours? |
Yang mana pena anda? |
Yang mana pen anda? |
| Where is my pen? |
Di mana pena aku? |
Di mana pen saya? |
Lesson 41 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| I wish to talk with Mr. Ahmad. |
Saya hendak berbicara dengan Bapak Ahmad. |
Saya hendak bercakap dengan Encik Ahmad. |
| meeting |
pertemuan |
mesyuarat |
| parents |
orang tua |
ibu bapa |
| He is still living with his parents. |
Dia masih tinggal bersama orang tuanya. |
Dia masih tinggal dengan ibu bapanya. |
Lesson 42 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| I want to buy shoes. |
Saya hendak beli sepatu. |
Saya hendak beli kasut. |
| necktie |
dasi |
tali leher |
| shopping complex (mall) |
pusat pertokoan, pusat perbelanjaan |
pusat membeli-belah |
| to go shopping |
berbelanja |
pergi membeli-belah |
| His wife likes to go shopping. |
Istrinya suka berbelanja. |
Isterinya suka pergi membeli-belah. |
| shoe shop |
toko sepatu |
kedai kasut |
| belt |
ikat pinggang |
tali pinggang |
| trousers |
celana panjang |
seluar panjang |
| He always wears a white shirt and tie to office. |
Dia selalu pakai kemeja putih dan dasi ke kantor. |
Dia selalu pakai kemeja putih dan tali leher ke pejabat. |
| I wear new shoes for my elder brother's wedding. |
Saya pakai sepatu baru untuk perkawinan kakak lelaki saya. |
Saya pakai kasut baru untuk perkahwinan abang saya. |
| break down, damaged |
rusak |
rosak |
| My car has broken down. |
Mobil aku sudah rusak. |
Kereta saya sudah rosak. |
Lesson 43 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| taxi |
taksi |
teksi |
| taxi-driver |
sopir/supir taksi |
pemandu teksi |
| taxi fare |
tarif taksi |
tambang teksi |
| a fixed price |
harga pas (harga mati) |
harga tetap (harga mati) |
| money |
uang |
wang |
| food |
pangan |
makanan |
| While the official abbreviation for the Indonesian Rupiah is IDR eg. 100 MYR (ringgit) = 350,000 IDR, for everyday purposes it is simply written as Rp 350,000. |
Lesson 44 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| doctor |
dokter |
doktor |
| What do you want to buy, sir? |
Mau beli apa, pak? |
Mau beli apa, encik? |
| When can we eat together? |
Kapan bisa kita makan bersama? |
Bila boleh kita makan bersama? |
| Do you have a pen (or not)? |
Ada pena tak? |
Ada pen tak? |
Lesson 45 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| icecream |
es krim |
aiskrim |
| He has been to my office. |
Dia pernah ke kantor aku. |
Dia pernah ke pejabat saya. |
| I want to go to Mr. Ali's house. |
Aku hendak pergi ke rumah Bapak Ali. |
Saya hendak pergi ke rumah Encik Ali. |
Lesson 46 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| This letter comes from my friend. |
Surat ini datang daripada teman aku. |
Surat ini datang daripada kawan saya. |
| For whom are you buying the shoes? |
Anda beli sepatu untuk siapa? |
Anda beli kasut untuk siapa? |
| I am sending an email to my mother. |
Aku kirim email kepada ibu aku. |
Saya hantar e-mel kepada emak saya. |
| I have to repeat again that often, when a word is put under Indonesian it does not mean that that word is not also used in Malaysia. It simply means that that word is more popularly used in Indonesia than in Malaysia, that's all. So ibu is as much used as emak in Malaysia for "mother". The same goes for kirim which is as much used as hantar in Malaysia for "sending" a letter or email. Just as aku is as much used as saya in Malaysia - but you know this already! |
Lesson 47 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| easy (simple) |
gampang |
senang |
| happy |
senang |
gembira |
| interesting |
menarik |
seronok |
| cold |
dingin |
sejuk |
| ugly |
buruk, jelek |
hodoh |
| That job is easy. |
Kerja itu gampang. |
Kerja itu senang. |
| meaning |
arti |
erti |
| news |
kabar |
khabar |
| policeman |
polisi |
polis |
| return |
kembali |
balik |
| tired |
capek |
penat |
| wrong |
keliru |
salah |
| As you can see, in almost all cases, the same adjectives are used in Malaysia and Indonesia and where there are differences, they are not that important. |
Lesson 48 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| marry |
kawin |
kahwin |
| understand |
paham |
faham |
| Can you speak English? |
Anda bisa bicara bahasa Inggris? |
Anda boleh cakap bahasa Inggeris? |
| No, I can't speak English. |
Tidak, saya tidak bisa bicara bahasa Inggris. |
Tidak, saya tidak boleh cakap bahasa Inggeris. |
| lottery |
lotere |
loteri |
| taxi-driver |
sopir/supir taksi |
pemandu teksi |
| police |
polisi |
polis |
| cancer |
kanker |
barah, kanser |
Lesson 49 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| sandwich |
roti lapis |
sandwic |
With the common spelling between Malaysia and Indonesia that came into being in 1972, pronunciation has become the least important aspect for someone who has studied Malay to speak Indonesian. This does not mean that there are no differences of course. But a student of Malay will not really need to re-adapt his pronunciation when he speaks Indonesian. Just speak the Malay you have learnt and your Indonesian interlocutor will most likely be able to understand you. But then even for Malay itself there is no ONE standard pronunciation, for the Malay spoken in East Malaysia is slightly different from the Malay spoken in West Malaysia while even the Malay spoken in Penang is slightly different from the Malay spoken in Kelantan - and yet both of these States are in West Malaysia.
Note what is mentioned in para 4 above though. The Indonesians always roll their r's. |
Lesson 50 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| cake |
kue |
kuih |
Lesson 51 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| Is that your car? No, it isn't my car. |
Itu mobil anda? Bukan, itu bukan mobil aku. |
Itu kereta anda? Bukan, itu bukan kereta saya. |
| He is not a Malaysian, he is a Japanese. |
Dia bukan orang Malaysia, dia orang Jepang. |
Dia bukan orang Malaysia, dia orang Jepun. |
| bag |
tas |
beg |
| He didn't take my bag. |
Dia tidak ambil tas saya. |
Dia tidak ambil beg saya. |
| This is your pen, isn't it? |
Ini pena anda, bukan? |
Ini pen anda, bukan? |
| This is the first time I come to Malaysia. |
Ini pertama kali saya datang ke Malaysia. |
Ini kali pertama saya datang ke Malaysia. |
Lesson 52 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| a bachelor |
bujangan |
bujang |
| He is already 40 but is still a bachelor. |
Dia sudah berumur 40 tahun tetapi masih bujangan. |
Dia sudah berumur 40 tahun tetapi masih bujang. |
| My elder brother is already 50 but is still unmarried. |
Kakak lelaki saya sudah berumur 50 tahun tetapi belum menikah lagi. |
Abang saya sudah berumur 50 tahun tetapi belum berkahwin lagi. |
| (elderly) spinster |
perawan tua |
anak dara tua (andartu) |
| He is married. |
Dia sudah menikah. |
Dia sudah berkahwin. |
| I thought he had left but he is still in the house. |
Saya pikir dia sudah keluar tetapi dia masih ada di rumah. |
Saya ingat dia sudah keluar tetapi dia masih ada di rumah. |
Lesson 53 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| I have already visited Paris. |
Aku telah mengunjungi Paris |
Saya pernah melawat ke Paris. |
| a company |
perusahaan |
syarikat |
| United States of America |
Amerika Serikat |
Amerika Syarikat |
| snow |
salju |
salji |
| Again as I have pointed out several times already, owing to linguistic influences that one country has over the other (and in both directions), what is given as the Indonesian version above is also intelligible in Malaysia and vice versa. |
Lesson 54 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| Where do you stay? |
Anda tinggal di mana? |
Anda duduk di mana? |
Lesson 55 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| marry |
kawin |
kahwin |
| medicine |
obat |
ubat |
| doctor |
dokter |
doktor |
| to return to one's hometown |
mudik |
balik kampung |
Lesson 56 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| policeman |
polisi |
mata-mata |
| detective |
detektif/reserse/polisi rahasia |
mata-mata gelap |
| necktie |
dasi |
tali leher |
| spectacles |
kacamata |
cermin mata |
| toothpaste |
pasta gigi |
ubat gigi |
| staff |
staf |
kakitangan |
| a drinker (of alcohol) |
peminum |
kaki minum |
Lesson 57 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| toothpaste |
pasta gigi |
ubat gigi |
| I want to see a doctor. |
Aku hendak jumpa dokter. |
Saya hendak jumpa doktor. |
| yesterday |
kemarin |
kelmarin |
| diarrhoea |
diare/mencret |
cirit-birit |
| flu |
flu/selesma/pilek |
demam selesema |
| healthy |
sehat |
sihat |
| to faint |
(jatuh) pingsan |
(jatuh) pengsan |
| medicine |
obat |
ubat |
| to see |
lihat, nampak |
lihat, tampak |
Lesson 58 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| My car is bigger than his. |
Mobil saya lebih besar daripada mobilnya. |
Kereta saya lebih besar daripada keretanya. |
| These shoes are more expensive than those. |
Sepatu ini lebih mahal daripada sepatu itu. |
Kasut ini lebih mahal daripada kasut itu. |
| Bahasa Malaysia is easier than French. |
Bahasa Malaysia lebih mudah daripada Bahasa Perancis. |
Bahasa Malaysia lebih senang daripada Bahasa Perancis. |
| Note that while senang is frequently used in Malaysia for "simple" or "easy", the word has a different meaning altogether in Indonesia. There it means "happy" or "contented". The Indonesians use mudah or gampang when they want to say that something is "easy" or "simple" (though mudah is equally used in Malaysia). But to say that something is "difficult", both countries use either susah, sukar or sulit. You have three words to choose from and anyone of them will be understood whether you are in Malaysia or Indonesia. |
Lesson 59 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| cook |
juru masak |
tukang masak |
| barber |
tukang cukur |
tukang rambut |
| nurse |
perawat |
jururawat |
| spokesperson |
juru bicara |
jurucakap |
| taxidriver |
sopir taksi |
pemandu teksi |
| secretary |
sekretaris |
setiausaha |
| blacksmith |
pandai besi |
tukang besi |
| photographer |
tukang foto |
tukang gambar |
| plumber |
tukang ledeng |
tukang paip |
| cobbler |
tukang sepatu |
tukang kasut |
| masseur/masseuse |
tukang pijat |
tukang urut |
| pilot |
penerbang |
juruterbang |
| typist |
juru ketik |
jurutaip |
| cashier |
kasir |
juruwang |
| engineer |
insinyur |
jurutera |
| stenographer |
juru steno |
jurutrengkas |
| announcer |
penyiar |
juruhebah |
| salesperson |
pelayan toko |
jurujual |
| coach |
pelatih |
jurulatih |
| accountant |
akuntan |
akauntan |
| electrician |
tukang listrik |
juruelektrik |
| manager |
manajer |
pengurus |
| translator |
penerjemah |
penterjemah |
| lecturer |
dosen |
pensyarah |
| businessman |
pedagang |
peniaga |
| editor |
redaktur |
pengarang |
| director |
direktur |
pengarah |
| receptionist |
resepsionis |
penyambut |
| actor |
aktor |
pelakon |
| headmaster |
kepala sekolah |
guru besar |
| soldier |
serdadu, laskar |
askar |
| policeman |
polisi |
polis, mata-mata |
| lawyer |
pengacara, advokat |
peguam |
| clerk |
juru tulis |
kerani |
| architect |
arsitek |
arkitek |
| servant |
babu, pramuwisma, pembantu |
orang gaji |
| As you would have noticed, there are quite a number of differences for the names of various occupations between Bahasa Malaysia and Indonesian. Earlier on you must have noticed that there were very few differences between the two languages when it comes to adjectives. |
Lesson 60 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| three cars |
tiga buah mobil |
tiga buah kereta |
| to smoke |
merokok |
menghisap |
| He has got two cars. |
Dia ada dua buah mobil. |
Dia ada dua buah kereta. |
| My neighbour has two cats. |
Tetangga saya ada dua ekor kucing. |
Jiran saya ada dua ekor kucing. |
Lesson 61 of Basic Malay Language Course.
| ENGLISH |
INDONESIAN |
MALAY |
| aeroplane |
pesawat terbang |
kapal terbang |
| (electric) bulb |
bola lampu |
mentol lampu |
| envelope |
amplop |
sampul surat |
| medicine |
obat |
ubat |
| money |
uang |
wang |
| newspaper |
koran |
surat khabar |
| rabbit |
kelinci |
arnab |
| rubbish bin |
tempat sampah |
tong sampah |
| shoes |
sepatu |
kasut |
| spectacles |
kacamata |
cermin mata |
| telephone |
telepon |
telefon |
| necktie |
dasi |
tali leher |
| tree |
pohon |
pokok |
| watermelon |
semangka |
tembikai |
| window |
jendela |
tingkap |
|
