Selamat datang ke kursus Bahasa Melayu! (Welcome to the Malay course!) Your journey begins with the best news: the Malay alphabet is the same as the English alphabet, and the pronunciation is incredibly consistent and phonetic.
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
The Malay alphabet is `A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z`. What you see is what you say! The most important part to master is the vowels.
There are five vowels, but the letter 'e' has two common sounds. Mastering these will make you understood instantly.
| Vowel | Pronunciation Guide | Example Word (Malay) | English Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| A, a | Like "ah" in father. | apa (ah-pah) | what |
| E, e (pepet) | The "uh" sound, like 'a' in sofa. (The most common 'e' sound) | kerusi (kuh-roo-see) | chair |
| E, e (taling) | Like the "eh" sound in bed or pen. | bes (bess) | bus |
| I, i | Like "ee" in feet. | ini (ee-nee) | this |
| O, o | Like "o" in hope. | orang (oh-rahng) | person |
| U, u | Like "oo" in food. | buku (boo-koo) | book |
The trickiest vowel is 'e'. How do you know whether to pronounce it as 'uh' (pepet) or 'eh' (taling)? Unfortunately, there's no strict rule in spelling. It's something you learn through exposure and practice. Some dictionaries will mark the 'e' taling with an accent (é) to help, but you won't see this in everyday writing.
Example: Don't stress too much about this at the start. Most of the time, context will help people understand you even if you use the wrong 'e' sound. Just be aware that the two sounds exist.
Most consonants sound exactly like they do in English, but here are a few key ones to note.
| Consonant | Pronunciation Guide | Example Word (Malay) |
|---|---|---|
| C, c | Always like "ch" in chair. | cawan (chah-wahn) - cup |
| G, g | Always a hard "g" as in goat. Never like 'j'. | gajah (gah-jah) - elephant |
| J, j | Always like "j" in judge. | jalan (jah-lahn) - street/to walk |
| R, r | Slightly rolled or "trilled", like in Spanish. | rumah (roo-mah) - house |
| NG, ng | Like the 'ng' in singer, not finger. | bangun (bah-ngoon) - to wake up |
| NY, ny | Like the 'ny' in canyon. | nyanyi (nyah-nyee) - to sing |
Master the basic sounds of the Malay alphabet.
Import Chapter 1 Flashcards(Requires login to import/study)
Match the Malay letter to its English sound equivalent.
c ( ) like 'j' in judge
i ( ) like 'ch' in chair
j ( ) like 'ny' in canyon
ny ( ) like 'ee' in feetc → like 'ch' in chair
i → like 'ee' in feet
j → like 'j' in judge
ny → like 'ny' in canyonTry pronouncing the following simple Malay words.
Bahasa Melayu (the Malay language) is the national language of Malaysia. Its standardized form is called `Bahasa Malaysia` ("the Malaysian language") to foster a sense of national unity among the country's diverse ethnic groups, including Malays, Chinese, and Indians. While many Malaysians, especially in cities, speak excellent English, making an effort to speak even a little Bahasa Malaysia is seen as a sign of great respect and is a wonderful way to connect with the local culture.
Let's read a very simple story using some of our new sounds.
Nama saya Ana. (nah-mah sah-yah ah-nah)
Saya ada kucing. (sah-yah ah-dah koo-ching)
Nama kucing saya Cici. (nah-mah koo-ching sah-yah chee-chee)
Cici suka makan ikan. (chee-chee soo-kah mah-kahn ee-kahn)
My name is Ana.
I have a cat.
My cat's name is Cici.
Cici likes to eat fish.
Malay is phonetic: what you see is what you say.
The vowels are the most important part: A (ah), E (uh/eh), I (ee), O (oh), U (oo).
Remember key consonants: C is "ch", J is "j", and G is always hard.
Syabas! (Well done!) You've taken the first and most important step. In the next chapter, we will use these sounds to learn Ucapan Asas (Basic Greetings & Phrases) so you can start having your very first simple interactions in Malay.