Apa khabar?
'How are you?' in Malay
Photo by Chander Mohan
Language
Malay
Austronesian Family
Left to Right Script
Non-Gendered Language
Bahasa Melayu, or Malay, is an Austronesian language spoken by over 77 million people, primarily in Malaysia, Indonesia (dialect), Brunei, Singapore, and southern Thailand. It uses the Latin alphabet (Rumi) in Malaysia and Brunei, though the Arabic-based Jawi script is also used in some contexts. Known for its straightforward grammar, Malay lacks complex verb conjugations and has a simple plural system (often reduplication). Its vocabulary is enriched by loanwords from Arabic, Sanskrit, Persian, Portuguese, Dutch, and English due to trade and colonial history. As the official language of Malaysia and Brunei, and a national language in Singapore, it plays a key role in Southeast Asian culture and communication.
Flashcards
MSA
Noun
206
kerja
work
Activity involving mental or physical effort; employment.
MSA
Noun
585
tenaga
energy
The capacity for vigorous activity; vitality.
MSA
Adverb
50
baru-baru ini
just
Exactly; simply; very recently.
MSA
Noun
335
alasan
reason
A cause or justification for an action or belief.
Agents
Malay
Aisha
Meeting clients at Petronas Towers
Female
36
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Businesswoman
Sociable
shopping, cooking, traveling
Malay
Rahman
Teaching Malay phrases in Kuala Lumpur
Male
32
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Language teacher
Approachable
cooking, hiking, photography
Malay
Farah
Studying Malay literature
Female
22
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Student
Friendly
cooking, reading, biking
Discover another 30 amazing languages
Chinese
Chinese
Mandarin, a Sino-Tibetan language, is the most widely spoken language globally, with over 1 billion native speakers, primarily in China,...
Spanish
Spanish
Spanish, a Romance language derived from Latin, is spoken by over 500 million native speakers worldwide, primarily in Spain, Latin...
French
French
French, a Romance language derived from Latin, is spoken by over 80 million native speakers and 220 million total speakers, mainly in...
Unlock Your Personalized Learning
- Custom learning experience
- Conversations history
- Password recovery