๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡พ

Malaysia ยท Malay Travel Phrases

The most useful local expressions, ordered by importance. Pronunciations are approximate.

Greetings

  1. 1
    Selamat pagi
    Good morning “seh-lah-mat pah-gee”
  2. 2
    Terima kasih
    Thank you “teh-ree-mah kah-seeh”
  3. 3
    Maaf / Tumpang lalu
    Sorry / Excuse me (passing by) “mah-af / toom-pang lah-loo”
  4. 4
    Sama-sama
    You're welcome “sah-mah sah-mah”
  5. 5
    Tak apa
    It's okay / No worries “tak ah-pah”
  6. 6
    Jumpa lagi
    See you again (goodbye) “joom-pah lah-gee”
Local etiquette
  • Malaysia is home to Malay (Muslim), Chinese and Indian communities. Islam is the state religion, so Muslim etiquette sets the baseline.
  • Don't offer a handshake to someone of the opposite sex first, especially Muslim women. Wait for them to extend a hand, or place your hand on your chest to greet.
  • Always use your right hand to give, receive, or greet. The left hand is considered unclean.

Basics

  1. 1
    Boleh cakap English?
    Do you speak English? (widely spoken in cities) “bo-leh cha-kap English?”
  2. 2
    Saya tak faham
    I don't understand “sah-yah tak fah-ham”
  3. 3
    Tandas di mana?
    Where is the toilet? “tan-das dee mah-nah?”
  4. 4
    Boleh tolong saya?
    Can you help me? “bo-leh to-long sah-yah?”
  5. 5
    Berapa harga?
    How much is it? “brah-pah har-gah?”
  6. 6
    Ini apa?
    What is this? “ee-nee ah-pah?”
  7. 7
    Boleh ambil gambar?
    May I take a photo? “bo-leh am-bil gam-bar?”
Local etiquette
  • Never point at people or directions with your index finger. Use your right thumb (fist closed, thumb out) instead โ€” that's the polite way.
  • The head is considered sacred. Don't touch anyone's head, not even a child's.

Shopping

  1. 1
    Berapa harga ini?
    How much is this? “brah-pah har-gah ee-nee?”
  2. 2
    Boleh kurang sikit?
    Can you lower the price a bit? (market bargaining) “bo-leh koo-rang see-kit?”
  3. 3
    Boleh bayar guna kad?
    Can I pay by card? “bo-leh bah-yar goo-nah kad?”
  4. 4
    Ada saiz lain?
    Do you have another size? “ah-dah size lah-in?”
  5. 5
    Saya nak yang ini
    I'll take this one “sah-yah nak yang ee-nee”
  6. 6
    Minta beg
    A bag, please “min-tah beg”
Local etiquette
  • Bargaining is normal at wet markets and night markets (pasar malam), but don't push too hard.
  • Shopping malls and chain stores are fixed-price โ€” no haggling there.
  • During Ramadan (fasting month), avoid eating or drinking in front of Muslims during daylight hours.

Restaurant

  1. 1
    Meja untuk dua orang
    A table for two “meh-jah oon-took doo-ah o-rang”
  2. 2
    Minta menu
    The menu, please “min-tah menu”
  3. 3
    Ini halal?
    Is this halal? (checks for pork/alcohol) “ee-nee hah-lal?”
  4. 4
    Kurang pedas
    Less spicy, please “koo-rang peh-das”
  5. 5
    Air kosong satu
    One plain water (unsweetened) “ah-yer ko-song sah-too”
  6. 6
    Nak bungkus
    Takeaway, please “nak boong-koos”
  7. 7
    Sedap!
    Delicious! “seh-dap!”
  8. 8
    Minta bil
    The bill, please “min-tah bill”
Local etiquette
  • Muslim and most local eateries are halal, so they serve no pork or alcohol. Don't ask for pork or order drinks there.
  • Eating with the hand is common, but only ever use the right hand โ€” never touch food with the left.
  • "Air kosong" means plain, unsweetened water. If you just ask for water you may get a sweet drink.
  • There's no tipping culture, but upscale restaurants may add a 10% service charge.

Getting around

  1. 1
    Stesen LRT/MRT di mana?
    Where is the LRT/MRT station? “steh-sen LRT/MRT dee mah-nah?”
  2. 2
    Saya nak pergi ke...
    I want to go to... “sah-yah nak per-gee ke...”
  3. 3
    Guna meter, boleh?
    Please use the meter (taxi) “goo-nah meter, bo-leh?”
  4. 4
    Saya guna Grab
    I'll use Grab (ride-hailing) “sah-yah goo-nah Grab”
  5. 5
    Berhenti di sini
    Please stop here “ber-hen-tee dee see-nee”
  6. 6
    Berapa tambang?
    How much is the fare? “brah-pah tam-bang?”
  7. 7
    Beli kad Touch 'n Go
    I'll buy a Touch 'n Go card (transit/toll card) “beh-lee kad Touch 'n Go”
Local etiquette
  • LRT/MRT/monorail trains have women-only carriages (marked pink). Men should avoid them.
  • Grab is easier and less prone to fare disputes than street taxis. For regular taxis, confirm they'll use the meter first.
  • Some Muslim women may be uncomfortable if a man sits right beside them on public transport โ€” be considerate.

Hotel

  1. 1
    Saya ada tempahan
    I have a reservation “sah-yah ah-dah tem-pah-han”
  2. 2
    Boleh check-in?
    Can I check in? “bo-leh check-in?”
  3. 3
    Boleh simpan beg saya?
    Could you keep my luggage? “bo-leh sim-pan beg sah-yah?”
  4. 4
    Aircond tak sejuk
    The air-con isn't cold “air-cond tak se-jook”
  5. 5
    Password Wi-Fi apa?
    What's the Wi-Fi password? “password Wi-Fi ah-pah?”
Local etiquette
  • When entering a mosque, remove your shoes and cover your shoulders and knees; women should cover their hair with a scarf.
  • Also remove your shoes when entering Muslim homes or traditional guesthouses.

Emergency

  1. 1
    Tolong!
    Help! “to-long!”
  2. 2
    Panggil polis (999)
    Call the police (999) “pang-gil po-lis (999)”
  3. 3
    Panggil ambulans (999)
    Call an ambulance (999) “pang-gil am-boo-lans (999)”
  4. 4
    Hospital di mana?
    Where is a hospital? “hos-pi-tal dee mah-nah?”
  5. 5
    Saya hilang pasport
    I lost my passport “sah-yah hee-lang pass-port”
Local etiquette
  • The emergency number is 999 (combined police, ambulance, fire); 112 also works from a mobile.
  • Watch for motorbike bag-snatchers in tourist areas โ€” wear your bag on the side away from the road.
  • If you lose your passport, get a report from the nearest police station (polis) and contact your embassy.