50 Common Malay Words and Phrases for Beginners

One of the easiest ways to start learning Malay is to begin with words and phrases you can actually use.

These common Malay expressions are useful for everyday conversations, travel, work, shopping, and life in Malaysia.

Greetings and Polite Expressions

1. Hai — Hello

2. Selamat pagi — Good morning

3. Selamat malam — Good evening / Good night

4. Terima kasih — Thank you

5. Sama-sama — You're welcome

6. Maaf — Sorry

7. Tolong — Please / Help

8. Sila — Please / Go ahead

9. Ya — Yes

10. Tidak — No

Useful Questions

11. Apa? — What?

12. Siapa? — Who?

13. Mana? — Which? / Where?

14. Di mana? — Where?

15. Bila? — When?

16. Kenapa? — Why?

17. Macam mana? — How?

18. Berapa? — How much / How many?

19. Boleh? — Can?

20. Betul? — Really? / Correct?

Everyday Conversation

21. Apa khabar? — How are you?

22. Khabar baik — I'm well

23. Sudah makan? — Have you eaten?

24. Saya faham — I understand

25. Saya tak faham — I don't understand

26. Boleh cakap lagi sekali? — Can you say that again?

27. Perlahan sedikit — A little slower

28. Tak apa — It's okay

29. Jumpa lagi — See you again

30. Jom! — Let's go!

Food and Shopping

31. Makan — Eat

32. Minum — Drink

33. Air — Water

34. Nasi — Rice

35. Sedap — Delicious

36. Pedas — Spicy

37. Harga — Price

38. Mahal — Expensive

39. Murah — Cheap

40. Nak — Want

Useful Words for Beginners

41. Saya — I / Me

42. Awak — You

43. Dia — He / She

44. Kita — We

45. Ini — This

46. Itu — That

47. Sekarang — Now

48. Hari ini — Today

49. Esok — Tomorrow

50. Semalam — Yesterday

How to Remember Malay Words

Do not try to memorise all 50 words in one sitting.

Start with five or ten words.

Then use them in short sentences.

For example:

Saya nak makan.
I want to eat.

Air ini sejuk.
This water is cold.

Berapa harga ini?
How much is this?

The more often you use a word, the easier it becomes to remember.

Start Learning Malay Beyond Vocabulary

Vocabulary is only the beginning.

To communicate confidently, you also need listening, pronunciation, sentence structure, grammar, and conversation practice.

That is why practical language learning is important.

Learn Malay online with Munshi Institute and build the skills you need for real conversations in Malaysia.