Family is the heart of Malaysian culture. In this final chapter of Level 1, you'll learn the essential vocabulary to talk about your immediate family members.
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
| Malay | Phonetic Guide | English |
|---|---|---|
| keluarga | (kuh-loo-ar-gah) | family |
| ibu | (ee-boo) | mother (can also use 'mak') |
| bapa | (bah-pah) | father (can also use 'ayah') |
| ibu bapa | (ee-boo bah-pah) | parents |
Malay is more specific than English when it comes to siblings, distinguishing by age.
| Malay | Phonetic Guide | English |
|---|---|---|
| abang | (ah-bahng) | older brother |
| kakak | (kah-kahk) | older sister |
| adik | (ah-deek) | younger sibling (brother or sister) |
The word `adik` is gender-neutral; it refers to any sibling who is younger than you. If you need to specify their gender, you would add `lelaki` (male) or `perempuan` (female).
Example: If you have one older sister and one younger brother, you would say, "Saya ada satu kakak dan satu adik lelaki." This specificity about birth order is very important in the culture.
Memorize these essential family terms.
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Match the Malay term to the family member.
ibu ( ) older brother
abang ( ) younger sibling
adik ( ) mother
bapa ( ) fatheribu → mother
abang → older brother
adik → younger sibling
bapa → fatherTranslate the following sentences into Malay.
The terms for 'older brother' (`abang`) and 'older sister' (`kakak`) are also used as polite and friendly terms to address people who are slightly older than you, like a waiter, a shopkeeper, or a new acquaintance. Even more commonly, you will hear `pakcik` (uncle) and `makcik` (auntie) used to respectfully address any older adult, regardless of whether they are a relative. This is a sign of respect for elders and a way to create a warm, familial atmosphere in social interactions.
A boy, Danial, shows a photo of his family.
Ini gambar keluarga saya. (ee-nee gahm-bar kuh-loo-ar-gah sah-yah.)
Ini ibu saya, nama dia Aminah. Dan ini bapa saya, nama dia Ismail. (ee-nee ee-boo sah-yah, nah-mah dee-ah ah-mee-nah. dahn ee-nee bah-pah sah-yah, nah-mah dee-ah is-mah-eel.)
Itu abang saya. Dia suka main bola. (ee-too ah-bahng sah-yah. dee-ah soo-kah mah-een boh-lah.)
Saya tidak ada kakak atau adik. Saya anak bongsu. (sah-yah tee-dahk ah-dah kah-kahk ah-tow ah-deek. sah-yah ah-nahk bohng-soo.)
This is a picture of my family.
This is my mother, her name is Aminah. And this is my father, his name is Ismail.
That is my older brother. He likes to play ball.
I don't have an older sister or a younger sibling. I am the youngest child.
Tahniah! You have completed Level 1: Penjelajah (Explorer)!
You have built a fantastic foundation. You know the alphabet, greetings, pronouns, numbers, basic sentence structure, question words, and vocabulary for food and family. You are ready to move on to Level 2!
In the next chapter, we begin Level 2: Pelayar (Navigator) with Penanda Masa (Tense Markers). You'll learn how to express past, present, and future actions using the simple words `sudah`, `sedang`, and `akan`.