Being able to talk about dates and schedules is a vital skill. In this chapter, you'll learn the days of the week and months of the year, which are surprisingly easy to remember.
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
The Malay week starts on Sunday. Many day names are borrowed from Arabic, reflecting a long history of trade and cultural exchange.
| English | Malay | Phonetic Guide | Origin Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday | Ahad | (ah-hahd) | From Arabic for "one" |
| Monday | Isnin | (is-neen) | From Arabic for "two" |
| Tuesday | Selasa | (suh-lah-sah) | From Arabic for "three" |
| Wednesday | Rabu | (rah-boo) | From Arabic for "four" |
| Thursday | Khamis | (khah-mees) | From Arabic for "five" |
| Friday | Jumaat | (joo-ma-aht) | From Arabic for "gathering" |
| Saturday | Sabtu | (sahb-too) | From Arabic/Hebrew for "Sabbath" |
This is the easy part! The months are all direct borrowings from English, so they will be very familiar.
Januari, Februari, Mac, April, Mei, Jun, Julai, Ogos, September, Oktober, November, Disember.
| Malay | English |
|---|---|
| hari ini | today |
| esok | tomorrow |
| semalam | yesterday |
| minggu ini | this week |
| minggu depan | next week |
| tahun ini | this year |
| tahun lepas | last year |
There are two key points for using days and months in sentences:
Master the days and months with this flashcard deck.
Import Chapter 18 Flashcards(Requires login to import/study)
Match the Malay day to its English equivalent.
Khamis ( ) Sunday
Jumaat ( ) Monday
Ahad ( ) Thursday
Isnin ( ) FridayKhamis → Thursday
Jumaat → Friday
Ahad → Sunday
Isnin → MondayTranslate the following phrases.
Friday (`hari Jumaat`) holds special significance in Malaysia, a Muslim-majority country. It is the day for congregational prayers (`solat Jumaat`). You will notice that the lunch break is much longer on Fridays, typically from around 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM, to allow Muslim men to attend prayers at the mosque. It's a key part of the weekly rhythm, and many offices and shops operate on a different schedule on this day.
Two colleagues planning a meeting (`mesyuarat`).
Aina: Azman, bila mesyuarat kita? (eye-nah, ahz-mahn, bee-lah muh-shoo-ah-raht kee-tah?)
Azman: Mesyuarat kita pada minggu depan. (muh-shoo-ah-raht kee-tah pah-dah ming-goo duh-pahn.)
Aina: Hari apa? Isnin? (hah-ree ah-pah? is-neen?)
Azman: Bukan hari Isnin. Mesyuarat pada hari Rabu, tiga hari bulan Ogos. (boo-kahn hah-ree is-neen. muh-shoo-ah-raht pah-dah hah-ree rah-boo, tee-gah hah-ree boo-lahn oh-gohs.)
Aina: Baiklah, terima kasih! (bah-eek-lah, tuh-ree-mah kah-seh!)
Aina: Azman, when is our meeting?
Azman: Our meeting is on next week.
Aina: What day? Monday?
Azman: Not on Monday. The meeting is on Wednesday, the third of August.
Aina: Okay, thank you!
Hebat! You can now talk about specific days and months, which is essential for making plans. What's a common place to make plans for? The market! In the next chapter, we will learn vocabulary for Di Pasar (At the Market), where you'll use your knowledge of numbers, items, and dates in a practical setting.