Malay word order at its simplest level is subject-verb-object like English. There is no grammatical gender nor are there any verb conjugations for person, number or tense, all of which are expressed with adverbs or tense indicators: saya makan, 'I eat' (now), saya sudah makan, 'I already eat' = 'I ate', saya akan makan = 'I will eat'.

Malay word order does differ from English word order when words such as ini ('this'), itu ('that'), pronouns used as possessives or adjectives are used: buku ini (this book), budak itu (that child), kereta saya (my car), rumah kami (our [not including your] house), gunung tinggi (high mountain), bukit kecil (small hill), pisang goreng (fried banana). Ini buku means 'This is a book', saya kerata means 'I am a car', and goreng pisang refers to the act of frying a banana, so though people are likely to figure out from context what you mean if you use the wrong word order in these kinds of phrases, they may look at you funny.

A characteristic of Malay is that it is a so-called agglutinative language, which means that the prefixes and suffixes are all attached to a base root. So a word can become very long. For example there is a base word hasil which means 'result'. But it can be extended as far as ketidakberhasilannya, which means his/her failure, from tidak (no) hasil (result) and nya (belonging to him/her/it). However, you will not usually encounter or need to use such complex words in conversational Malay.

Note that Malay has two words which are equivalent to the English 'we'. If you intend to include the person(s) you are addressing, the word to use is kita. If the subject does not include your listener(s), then the correct word would be kami.

Otherwise, simple personal pronouns are analogous to English usage, except that there is only one word for he, she and it: dia. Also, there are different levels of familiarity to pronouns for "I" and "you", all the way from forms only the sultan uses to forms that are only used when speaking to God, a lover and possibly the most intimate family members. In this phrasebook, we will deal with only polite and familiar forms of address, as you will have no occasion to use royal speech unless perhaps the King of England is reading this.

a

like 'a' in 'father', except at the end of multi-syllabic words, where it's a schwa in Singapore and most parts of Peninsular Malaysia other than Kedah and Kelantan (e.g., nama, the word for 'name', has an 'a' as in 'father' in the first syllable and a schwa in the second). In Kedah and East Malaysia, the final 'a' is also 'a' as in 'father', whereas in Kelantanese dialect, it's like the sound of 'o' as described below.

ê

like 'e' in 'vowel' (schwa), sometimes barely pronounced at all when in the first syllable of a multi-syllable word

e, é

like 'e' in 'bed'; the difference between a schwa and an e used to be indicated in writing a long time ago but has not been since the 1960s or earlier.

i

like 'ee' in 'beet', sometimes like 'i' in 'thin' in unstressed syllables; in final 'ih' and 'ik' combinations, like 'eh'

o

like 'ow' in 'low', but without the 'w' sound

u

like 'oo' in 'hoop', in open positions or like 'o' in 'hope' in close positions, such as in final 'uh' and 'uk' combinations

Note: In Kelantanese dialect, 'ang', 'an' and 'am' at the ends of words are all pronounced like 'ay' as in 'day', but with no 'y' consonant. So, for example, the word 'jangan' ('don't') becomes more or less 'jah-NGEH'. Also, 'ah' at the ends of words is pronounced 'oh' and 'ak' as 'ok' (the 'o' vowel plus a glottal stop) in Kelantanese and traditionally in Terengganu dialect as well.

b

like 'b' in 'bed'

c

like 'ch' in 'China'

ch

old spelling of c

d

like 'd' in 'dog'

f

like 'ph' in 'phone'; can also be pronounced like 'p' in 'pig'.

g

like 'g' in 'go'

h

like 'h' in 'help'; initial 'h' is not always pronounced in some dialects

j

like 'j' in 'jug'; in older romanizations also the vowel i

k

like 'c' in 'cat'; at ends of words, a glottal stop like the stop some people use to pronounce 'something' as 'sump'n'

kh

like 'ch' in 'loch' or 'c' in 'cat'

l

like 'l' in 'love'

m

like 'm' in 'mother'

n

like 'n' in 'nice'

ng

like 'ng' in 'long'. Never pronounced with a hard 'g'

ngg

like 'ng' in 'monger'. Always includes a hard 'g'

ny

like 'ni' in 'onion'

p

like 'p' in 'pig'; unaspirated (i.e., no explosive sound) at the ends of words

q

like 'q' in 'quest' (most commonly with 'u', and only in Arabic borrowings)

r

like 'r' in 'rat', but starting with the tongue just behind the upper teeth, never formed with the lips

s

like 'ss' in 'hiss'

sy

like 'sh' in 'sheep'

t

like 't' in 'top'; unaspirated (i.e., no explosive sound) at the ends of words

v

like 'ph' in 'phone' (only used in loanwords)

w

like 'w' in 'weight'

x

like 'cks' in 'kicks' (only used in loanwords)

y

like 'y' in 'yes'

z

like 's' in 'hiss', like 'z' in 'haze', like 'j' in 'jam'

ai

like the English word 'I' (except in Kelantan, where this diphthong is similar to 'ay' in 'day')

au

like 'ow' in 'cow'

oi

like 'oy' in 'boy'

Note: Besides the above diphthongs, when two vowels appear next to each other, they must generally be pronounced as separate syllables.

In the pseudo-pronunciations below, glottal stops are shown as apostrophes, usually at the ends of words. Unaspirated consonants (always the letters T or P, usually at the ends of words) are shown in parentheses.

Hello.

Helo. (Hello)

Hello. (informal)

Hai. (Hi)

Hello. (Muslim)

Assalamu alaikum (AH-Ssal-ah-moo AAH-la-ee-koom). Note: If anyone says this to you, whether you are Muslim or not, answer 'Alaikum wassalam', thus returning the wish of peace that was bestowed upon you. Not doing so is a serious breach of etiquette.

How are you?

Apa khabar? (Literally: What news?) (AH-puh KAH-bar?)

Fine.

Khabar baik. (Literally: Good news.) (KAH-bar BUY'.)

What is your name?

Siapa nama awak? (see-AH-puh NAH-muh AH-wah'?')

My name is ______ .

Nama saya ______ . (NAH-muh SAH-yuh _____ .)

I am happy to meet you.

Saya gembira berjumpa awak. (SAH-yuh gum-BEER-uh buhr-JOOM-puh AH-wah')

Please.

Sila. (SEE-luh) As in 'Please sit down' ('Sila duduk' [SEE-luh doo-DOO'])

Please (request, such as for someone to do something for you).

Tolong. (TOH-long) Note: 'Tolong' literally means 'help.' It is the more common word for 'please', but has a different connotation from 'sila'.

Thank you.

Terima kasih. (TREE-muh KAH-seh)

You're welcome.

Sama-sama. (SAH-muh SAH-muh) (essentially "the same to you")

Yes.

Ya. (YUH)

No.

Tidak. (TEE-dah') or Tak (TAH')

Don't (as a command or request)

Jangan (JAH-ngahn)

Not

Bukan (boo-KAHN)

Maybe

Boleh jadi. (BO-leh JAH-dee)

And

Dan (dahn)

But

Tapi (tah-PEE) or tetapi

Or

Atau (ah-TAHW)

Also

Juga (JOO-guh)

With

Dengan (DUH-ngahn)

Without

Tanpa (TAHN-puh)

Excuse me (begging pardon).

Maaf. (mah'AHF)

I'm sorry.

Maafkan saya. (mah'AHF-kahn SAH-yuh)

Goodbye

Selamat tinggal. (SLAH-mah(t) ting-GAHL), Selamat jalan (SLAH-mah(t) JAH-lahn) Usage note: 'Selamat tinggal' means 'Safe stay', while 'Selamat jalan' means 'Safe trip', so whoever is leaving uses the former expression and whoever is staying uses the latter expression.

Because

Sebab (suh-BAHB)

Why

Mengapa (muhng-AH-puh) or sebab apa

I can't speak Malay [well].

Saya tidak boleh cakap Bahasa Malaysia/Bahasa Melayu [baik]. (SAH-yuh TEE-dah' bo-leh CHAH-kah(p) ba-HAH-suh muh-LAY-shuh (muh-LAH-yoo) [BUY'])

(Do you) speak English?

(Anda boleh) cakap Bahasa Inggeris? (CHAH-kah(p) ba-HAH-suh ING-grees)

Is there someone...?

Ada sesiapa...?

Is there someone who speaks English here?

Ada sesiapa yang boleh cakap Bahasa Inggeris di sini? (AH-duh suh-SYA-puh yahng BOH-leh CHAH-kah(p) ba-HAH-suh ING-grees dee-SEE-nee)

Help!

Tolong! (TOH-lohng)

Look out!

Awas! (AH-wahs)

Good morning.

Selamat pagi. (SLAH-mah(t) PAH-gee)

Good afternoon.

Selamat tengah hari. (...teng-ah HAH-ree)

Good evening.

Selamat petang. (...puh-TAHNG)

Good night.

Selamat malam. (...MAH-lam) Usage note: 'Selamat malam' is also used when saying 'Good evening' after dark.

Good night (to sleep)

Selamat tidur. (...TEE-dor)

I don't understand.

Saya tak faham. (SAH-yuh tah' fah-HAHM)

Where is the toilet?

Di mana tandas? (dee-MAH-nuh TAHN-dahs); on the East Coast of the Peninsula (e.g., Kelantan, Terengganu): Di mana jamban? (...JAHM-bahn). On the East Coast, 'tandas' is considered stilted, but do not use 'jamban' on the West Coast, where it's considered crude.

I/me/my

Saya (SAH-yuh) (formal); aku (AH-koo) (familiar).

We/us/our

Kami (KAH-mee), Kita (KEE-tuh). Usage note: Kami is used for 'us but not you'; kita is used for 'everyone present'.

You/your

Anda/awak (AHN-duh / AH-wak). Usage note: Anda is more formal than awak. The most common familiar word for "you" is kamu (KAH-moo).

He/she/it/him/his/her/its

Dia (DEE-uh)

They/them/their

Mereka (muh-REH-kuh)

Don't bother me.

Jangan ganggu saya. (JAH-ngahn GAHN-goo SAH-yuh)

Get lost!

Berambus! (...)

Don't touch me!

Jangan jamah saya! (JAH-ngahn JAH-mah SAH-yuh)

I'll call the police.

Saya akan panggil polis. (SAH-yuh AH-kahn PANG-geel po-LEES)

Police!

Polis! (...)

Help!

Tolong! (TOH-lohng)

Stop! Rapist!

Berhenti! Perogol! (bur-HEHN-tee! puh-ROH-gohl!)

Stop! Thief!

Berhenti! Pencuri! (bur-HEHN-tee! pun-CHOO-ree!)

Please help me.

Tolonglah saya. (TOH-lohng-lah SAH-yuh)

It's an emergency.

Ini kecemasan. (ee-nee kuh-chuh-MAH-sahn)

I'm lost.

Saya tersesat. (SAH-yuh tuhr-SEH-sah(t))

I lost my bag.

Saya hilang beg saya. (SAH-yuh HEE-lahng BEHG SAH-yuh)

I lost my wallet.

Saya hilang dompet saya. (SAH-yuh HEE-lahng DOHM-peh(t) SAH-yuh)

I'm sick.

Saya sakit. (SAH-yuh SAH-kee(t))

I feel dizzy.

Saya rasa pening kepala. (SAH-yuh RAH-suh PUH-ning kuh-PAH-luh)

I've been injured.

Saya terluka. (SAH-yuh tuhr-LOO-kuh)

I'm bleeding.

Saya berdarah. (SAH-yuh bur-DAH-rah)

I need a doctor.

Saya perlu doktor. (SAH-yuh per-LOO DOH'-tohr)

Can I use your phone?

Boleh saya guna telefon anda? (BO-leh SAH-yuh GOO-nuh TEH-leh-fohn AHN-duh)

Numbers in Malay are relatively straightforward, with the number system being largely analogous to English.

0

sifar (formal)/kosong (colloquial, lit. empty)

1

satu/se (as in 'satu ringgit' or 'seringgit', see below); the number by itself is 'satu', but when used in combination with any other word, 'se' is usually used as a prefix.

2

dua

3

tiga

4

empat

5

lima

6

enam

7

tujuh

8

lapan

9

sembilan

10

sepuluh

11

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

40

empat puluh

50

lima puluh

100

seratus

200

dua ratus

300

tiga ratus

1,000

seribu

1,100

seribu seratus

1,152

seribu seratus lima puluh dua

1,200

seribu dua ratus

1,500

seribu lima ratus

2,000

dua ribu

2,100

dua ribu seratus

10,000

sepuluh ribu

20,000

dua puluh ribu

100,000

seratus ribu

150,000

seratus lima puluh ribu

156,125

seratus lima puluh enam ribu seratus dua puluh lima

250,000

dua ratus lima puluh ribu / Suku juta (quarter of a million)

500,000

lima ratus ribu / setengah juta (half a million)

1,000,000

sejuta

1,150,000

sejuta seratus lima puluh ribu

1,250,000

sejuta dua ratus lima puluh ribu

1,500,000

sejuta lima ratus ribu

1,750,000

sejuta tujuh ratus lima puluh ribu

2,000,000

dua juta

100,000,000

seratus juta

1,000,000,000

satu bilion

1,000,000,000,000

satu trilion

number _____ (train, bus, etc.)

(keretapi, bas) nombor _____ (...)

half

setengah (...)

quarter

suku (...)

third

pertiga (...)

three quarter

tiga suku (...)

less

kurang (...)

more

lebih (...)

roughly (more or less)

lebih kurang

now

sekarang (...)

later

nanti (...)

before

sebelum (...)

after

selepas (...)

already

sudah (SOO-dah) or dah

not yet

belum (buh-LEUHM). The 'u' is like the 'oo' in 'foot'

morning

pagi (0.00 – 10.30) (...)

midday

tengah hari (10.30 – 15.00) (...)

afternoon

petang (15.00 – 19.00) (...)

night

malam (19.00 – 0.00) (...)

dawn

subuh / fajar (4.00 - 6.00) (...)

dusk

maghrib / senja (18.00 - 19.00)

black

hitam (HEE-tahm)

white

putih (POO-teh)

grey

kelabu (kuh-LAH-boo)

red

merah (MAY-ruh)

blue

biru (BEE-roo)

yellow

kuning (KOO-neeng)

green

hijau (HEE-jow)

orange

jingga/oren (JING-guh/OH-ren)

purple

ungu (OONG-oo)

light brown

perang (PAY-rahng)

dark brown

coklat (CHOCK-ah-la(t))

Do you have any rooms available?

Ada bilik kosong? (AH-duh BEE-leh' KOH-sohng?)

How much is a room for one person/two people?

Berapa harga bilik untuk seorang/dua orang? (buh-RAH-puh HAHR-guh BEE-leh' oon-TUH' suh-OH-rahng/DOO-uh OH-rahng)

Does the room come with...

Adakah ini termasuk... (...)

...bedsheets?

...alas/sarong tilam? (...)

...a bathroom?

...bilik mandi? (...)

...a telephone?

...telefon? (...)

...a TV?

...TV? (tee-VEE)/ ...televisyen?

May I see the room first?

Boleh lihat bilik dulu? (...)

Do you have anything quieter?

Ada yang lebih sunyi? (...)

Do you have a room which is...

Ada bilik yang... (...)

...bigger?

... lebih besar? (leh-beh buh-SAHR)

...cleaner?

...lebih bersih? (bur-SEH)

...cheaper?

...lebih murah? (MOO-rah)

All right. I will stay for _____ night(s).

Baiklah. Saya akan tinggal untuk _____ malam. (BUY'-lah. SAH-yuh AH-kahn TING-gahl oon-tuh'_____ MAH-lahm)

Can you suggest another hotel?

Boleh cadangkan hotel lain? (...)

Do you have a safe?

Awak/anda ada peti besi? (...)

Do you have lockers?

Awak/anda ada peti berkunci? (...)

Is breakfast/supper included?

Sudah termasuk sarapan/makan malam? (...)

What time is breakfast/supper (dinner)?

Pukul berapa waktu sarapan/makan malam? (...)

Please clean my room.

Tolong bersihkan bilik saya. (...)

Can you wake me at _____?

Boleh tolong bangunkan saya pada pukul _____? (...)

I want to check out.

Saya nak/mahu daftar keluar. (...)

Do you accept American/Australian/Canadian dollars here?

Adakah anda menerima dolar Amerika / Australia / Kanada di sini? (...)

Do you accept British pounds?

Adakah anda menerima paun British? (...)

Do you accept euros?

Adakah anda menerima euro? (...)

Can I use a credit card?

Boleh saya guna kad kredit? (...)

Can I change money?

Boleh saya tukar wang? (...)

Where can I get money changed?

Di mana boleh saya tukar wang? (...)

Can you change a traveler's check for me?

Boleh anda tukar cek kembara untuk saya? (...)

Where can I get a traveler's check changed?

Di mana boleh saya tukar cek kembara? (...)

What is the exchange rate?

Apa kadar tukaran wang? (...)

Where is an automatic teller machine (ATM)?

Di mana ada ATM? (dee MAH-nuh AH-duh EY-TEE-EM)

eat

makan (MAH-kahn)

sweet

manis (mah-NEES)

sour

masam (MAH-sahm)

bitter

pahit (pah-HEE(T))

salty

masin (MAH-seen) or asin

spicy

pedas (puh-DAHS)

bland/tasteless

tawar (TAH-wahr)

hot (temperature)

panas (pah-NAHS)

cold

sejuk (suh-JO')

Please give me a table for one person/two people.

Tolong beri saya satu meja untuk seorang/dua orang. (TOH-lohng buh-REE SAH-yuh SAH-too MEH-juh oon-TO' suh-OH-rahng/DOO-uh OH-rahng)

May I look at the menu?

Boleh saya lihat menu? (boh-leh SAH-yuh LEE-hah(t) MEH-noo)

Is there a house specialty?

Ada makanan istimewa di sini? (AH-duh mah-KAH-nahn ees-tee-MEH-wuh dee SEE-nee)

Is there a local specialty?

Ada makanan tempatan khas? (...)

I'm a vegetarian.

Saya seorang vegetarian/saya tidak makan daging (literally "I do not eat meat"). (...)

I don't eat meat, chicken or seafood.

Saya tidak makan daging, ayam atau makanan laut. (SAH-yuh TEE-dah' MAH-kahn DAH-ging, AH-yahm ah-tahw mah-KAH-nahn LOU(T))

I don't eat pork.

Saya tidak makan babi. (BAH-bee)

I don't eat beef.

Saya tidak makan daging lembu. (DAH-ging LUHM-boo)

Can you make it 'light', please? (=less oil/butter)

Boleh kurangkan minyak / mentega? (...)

I want _____.

Saya nak _____. (SAH-yuh NAH')

I want a dish containing _____.

Saya nak makanan yang mengandungi _____. (...)

I am allergic to _____.

Saya alah kepada ________.

chicken

ayam (AH-yahm)

meat

daging (DAH-ging)

beef

daging lembu (...LUHM-boo)

pork

daging babi (...BAH-bee)

goat

kambing (KAHM-bing)

fish

ikan (EE-kahn)

shrimp/prawn

udang (OO-dahng)

crab

ketam (keh-TAHM)

squid

sotong (SOH-tohng)

cuttlefish

sotong katak (SOH-tohng KAH-tah')

ham

ham (...)

sausage

sosej (...)

cheese

keju (KAY-joo)

eggs

telur (TEH-loor)

salad

salad (...)

(fresh) vegetables

sayur (SAH-yohr) (Note: On the East Coast of the Peninsula, sayur is a specific kind of dish, not just a generic word.)

cucumber

timun (TEE-moon)

water spinach (a common green, leafy vegetable)

kangkung (kahng-KOHNG)

amaranth/spinach

bayam (BAH-yahm)

squash

labu (LAH-boo)

bean

kacang (KAH-chahng)

long bean

kacang panjang (...pahn-JAHNG)

potato

ubi kentang (OO-bee KUHN-tahng)

cassava

ubi kayu (...KAH-yoo)

purple yam

ubi keladi (...kuh-LAH-dee)

sweet potato

ubi keledek (...kuh-LEH-deh')

onion

bawang besar (BAH-wahng bih-SAHR)

garlic

bawang putih (...POO-teh)

shallot

bawang merah (...MEH-rah)

(fresh) fruit

buah (BOO-ah)

Note: Fruits are often called 'buah' and then the name.

banana

pisang (PEE-sahng)

watermelon

tembikai or timun cina (TUHM-bee-KYE/TEE-moon CHEE-nuh)

mango

mangga/kuini/pauh - 3 varieties in descending order of deliciousness per local opinion (MAHNG-guh/KWEE-nee/POWH)

jackfruit

nangka/cempedak - 2 different varieties; nangka is the standard one and cempedak is stronger-tasting and not as sweet (NAHNG-kuh/CHUHM-puh-dah')

pineapple

nanas (NAH-nahs)

guava

jambu (JAHM-boo)

mangosteen

manggis (MAHNG-geese)

lime

limau (LEE-mahw)

starfruit/carambola

belimbing (buh-LIM-bing)

Rambutan and durian, also English words, are the Malay names for those fruits.

coconut

kelapa/nyior (kuh-LAH-puh/NYOR)

peanut

kacang tanah

seed

biji

bread

roti (ROH-tee)

toast

roti bakar (literally, "burnt/charred bread") (...BAH-kahr)

rice

nasi (=cooked rice)/beras (=raw rice) (NAH-see/buh-RAHS)

noodle(s)

mi (just like the English word 'me')

May I have some _____?

Boleh saya dapatkan _____? (...)

Can you please add ____?

Boleh anda tambah _____?

salt

garam (GAH-rahm)

sugar

gula (GOO-luh)

black pepper

lada hitam (LAH-duh HEE-tahm)

chili pepper

lada

fresh chili pepper

lada hidup

dried chili pepper

lada kering

cinnamon

kayu manis (KAH-yoo mah-NEES)

cloves

bunga cengkeh (BOO-nguh CHENG-keh) or cengkeh

nutmeg

buah pala (BOO-ah PAH-luh)

turmeric

kunyit (KOON-yi(t))

shrimp paste

belacan (buh-LAH-chahn)

fish sauce

budu (BOO-doo)

soy sauce

kicap (KEE-chah(p))

butter

mentega (muhn-TEY-gah)

oil

minyak (MEAN-yah')

curry

gulai (GOO-lye)

sour, with a tamarind base

asam (AH-sahm)

fry/fried

goreng (GO-rehng)

roast(ed)

panggang (PAHNG-gahng or pahng-GAHNG)

bake(d), char(red) over a wood fire

bakar (BAH-kahr)

boil(ed)

rebus (reh-BOOS)

dry/dried

kering (kring)

sauce, gravy

kuah (KOO-ah)

Excuse me, waiter? (getting attention of server)

Encik! (male) Cik! (female) Mek! (young female in Kelantan and Terengganu) (...)

I'm finished (eating).

Saya sudah habis (makan). (hah-BEES)

I'm full.

Saya kenyang. (SAH-yuh KUH-nyahng)

It is/was delicious.

Sedaplah. (suh-DAH(P)-lah)

I liked it very much

Saya suka sangat. (SAH-yuh SOO-kuh sah-NGAH(T))

It's too bitter.

Terlalu pahit. (tuhr-LAH-loo pah-HEE(T))

It's too spicy.

Terlalu pedas. (puh-DAHS)

It's too hot (in temperature).

Terlalu panas. (pah-NAHS)

What did you put?

Apa yang awak letak?

There's a fly in my soup.

Ada lalat dalam sup saya. (ah-duh LAH-lah(t) dah-lahm SOO(P) SAH-yuh)

That's enough.

Cukuplah. (choo-KOO(P)-lah)

I want a refund.

Saya mahu ganti rugi.

Please clear the plates.

Tolong ambil pinggan. (...)

Please clean the table

Tolong bersihkan meja (...)

When will my order be ready?

Bilakah pesanan saya akan sedia?

I would like to take away (literally, package) the food.

Saya nak bungkuskan makanan. (BOONG-koos-kahn mah-KAHN-ahn)

The check/bill, please.

Boleh saya dapatkan bil sekarang? (...)

I don't have change.

Saya tak ada duit kecil. (DOO-i(t) kuh-CHEEL)

Can I pay by credit card?

Boleh saya bayar dengan kad kredit? (BOH-leh SAH-yuh bah-YAHR DUH-ngahn kahd KRE-dee(t))

drink

minum (MEE-noom)

I want a glass of _____.

Saya nak/mahu segelas _____. (...)

I want a cup of _____.

Saya nak/mahu secawan_____. (...)

I want a bottle of _____.

Saya nak sebotol _____. (...)

water

air (Just like the English word 'I')

coffee

kopi (...)

tea (drink)

teh (...)

milk

susu (SOO-soo)

juice

jus (...), or use 'air', the Malay word for 'water', plus the name of the fruit (e.g., 'air oren' is orange juice)

soft drink

minuman ringan (...) (or use brand name instead, eg Coke/Sprite)

beer

bir (...)

hard liquor

arak (AH-rah')

red/white wine

wain merah/ putih (...)

Is there alcohol here, (too)?

Ada alkohol di sini (juga)? (AH-duh AHL-ko-hohl dee-SEE-nee JOO-guh)

A beer/two beers, please.

Tolong berikan satu/dua bir. (...)

A glass of red/white wine, please.

Tolong berikan satu gelas wain merah/putih. (...)

A bottle, please.

Tolong berikan sebotol. (...)

_____ (hard liquor) and _____ (mixer), please.

_____ and _____, please. (...)

whisky

wiski (...)

vodka

vodka (...)

rum

ram ('a' as in 'father') (...)

club soda

club soda (...)

tonic water

air tonik (...)

orange juice

jus oren (...)

Coke (soda)

Coca-cola (...)

Do you have any bar snacks?

Ada makanan ringan? (...)

I want another one.

Saya nak/mahu satu lagi. (...)

When is closing time?

Tutup pukul berapa? (too-TOO(P) poo-kool buh-RAH-puh)

Sell

Jual (JOO-ahl)

Buy

Beli (BLEE)

Do you have this in my size?

Ada ini dalam saiz saya? (AH-duh EE-nee DAH-lahm size SAH-yuh)

How much is this?

Berapa harga ini? (buh-RAH-puh HAHR-guh EE-nee)

Is this pirated?

Ini bahan ciplak?

May I pay _____?

Boleh saya bayar _____? (boh-leh BAH-yahr)

(too) expensive

(terlalu) mahal (mah-HAHL)

cheap

murah (MOO-rah)

I don't want it.

Tak nak. (informal) / Saya tidak mahukannya. (formal) (TAH' NAH')

You're cheating me.

Awak tipu saya? (...)

Don't lie.

Jangan bohong. Note: Accusing someone of cheating or lying is very serious and shouldn't be done unless you have strong reasons to believe they are being dishonest, not just bargaining well. Deprecating the quality of an item is more acceptable as part of the bargaining process.

Don't even think about it.

Jangan harap.

Can you lower the price?

Boleh kurangkan harganya? (boh-LEH KOO-rahng-kahn HAHR-guh-nyuh)

The quality is not good.

Kualitinya tidak baik. (KWAH-lee-tee-nyuh TEE-dah' BUY')

I don't want that.

Saya tak nak itu. (SAH-yuh tah' nah' EE-too)

OK, I'll buy it.

Baiklah, saya beli. (BUY'-lah, SAH-yuh buh-LEE)

Can I have a plastic bag?

Ada beg plastik? (AH-duh behg PLAHS-tee')

It's cheaper over there.

Di sana lebih murah. (dee SAH-nuh leh-beh MOO-rah)

Do you ship (overseas)?

Boleh hantar (ke luar negeri)? (boh-leh HAHN-tahr [kuh loo-ahr NEH-gree])

I need...

Saya perlu... (SAH-yuh puhr-LOO)

...toothpaste.

...ubat gigi. (OH-baht GEE-gee)

...a toothbrush.

...berus gigi. (broos GEE-gee)

...condoms.

...kondom. (...)

...tampons.

...softeks / tuala wanita (literally "women's towel"). (...)

...soap.

...sabun. (SAH-bohn)

...shampoo.

...syampu. (...)

...pain reliever. (e.g., aspirin or ibuprofen)

...ubat sakit (aspirin, panadol, ...) (Note: ibuprofen and aspirin is not widely available. The usual pain killer is paracetamol, widely known by the brand name "panadol"). (...)

...cold medicine.

...ubat selsema. (...)

...stomach medicine.

...ubat sakit perut. (oh-baht sah-kee(t) puh-ROO(T))

...a razor.

...pencukur / pisau cukur. (...)

...an umbrella.

...payung. (PAH-young)

...sunscreen.

...pelindung cahaya matahari. / ...pelindung kulit (literally "skin protector")

...a postcard.

...poskad. (...)

...postage stamps.

...setem. (STEHM)

...batteries.

...bateri. (BAH-tuh-ree)

...(writing) paper.

...kertas (tulis). (KUHR-tahs)

...a pen.

... pen. (...)

...English-language books.

...buku dalam Bahasa Inggeris. (boo-koo dah-lahm bah-hah-suh EENG-grees)

...English-language magazines.

...majalah dalam Bahasa Inggeris. (mah-JAH-lah...)

...an English-language newspaper.

...surat khabar dalam Bahasa Inggeris. (soo-raht KAH-bahr...)

...an English-Malay dictionary.

...kamus Inggeris-Melayu. (KAH-moos eeng-grees muh-LAH-yoo)

I want to rent a car.

Saya nak/mahu sewa kereta. (SAH-yuh NAH' SEH-wuh kuh-REH-tuh)

Can I get insurance?

Boleh saya dapatkan insurans? (BOH-leh SAH-yuh DA-pat-KAN in-SOO-rahns)

stop (on a street sign)

berhenti (buhr-HEHN-tee)

no parking

dilarang meletak kereta (dee-LAH-rahng muh-leh-tah' kuh-REH-tuh)

gas (petrol) station

stesen minyak (...)

petrol

petrol (...)

diesel

diesel (...)

I haven't done anything wrong.

Saya tidak buat sebarang salah. (SAH-yuh TEE-dah' BWAH(T) suh-BAH-rahng SAH-lah)

It's not my fault.

Ini bukan salah saya. (EE-nee boo-KAHN SAH-lah SAH-yuh)

What's happening?

Apa yang berlaku?

This was a misunderstanding.

Ini salah faham. (EE-nee SAH-lah fah-HAHM)

This is not fair.

Ini tidak adil. (ee-nee TEE-dah' AH-deel)

Have pity on me.

Kasihanlah saya (kuh-SEE-hahn-lah SAH-yuh)

What are you doing?

Apa yang awak buat? (AH-puh yahng AH-wah' BWA(T))

Officer (when talking to a police officer)

Tuan (=Sir) / Puan (=Ma'am) (TOO-ahn, POO-ahn)

Where are you taking me?

Ke mana tuan/puan bawa saya ? (kuh-MAH-nuh TOO-ahn/POO-ahn BAH-wuh SAH-yuh)

Am I under arrest?

Saya ditahan kah? (SAH-yuh dee-TAH-hahn kah)

I am an American/Australian/British/Canadian citizen.

Saya warganegara/rakyat (literally "people of") Amerika /Australia / Inggeris / Kanada. (SAH-yuh WAHR-guh-neh-GAH-ruh...)

Can I make a telephone call?

Boleh saya buat panggilan telefon?

I want to talk to the American/Australian/British/Canadian embassy/consulate.

Saya nak/mahu cakap dengan Kedutaan/Konsulat Amerika / Australia / British / Kanada. (SAH-yuh nah' CHAH-kah(p) DUH-ngahn kuh-DOO-tuh'-ahn/KOHN-soo-lah(t)...)

I want to talk to a lawyer.

Saya nak/mahu cakap dengan peguam. (SAH-yuh nah' CHAH-kah(p) DUH-ngahn PUH-gwahm)

Can I just pay a fine here?

Bolehkah saya membayar denda di sini saja? (boh-leh-kah SAH-yuh muhm-BAH-yahr DEHN-duh dee SEE-nee SAH-juh)