Let's put everything together! By combining greetings and pronouns, you can now have your first real, simple conversation: introducing yourself and asking about others.
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
These question-and-answer pairs are the foundation of any first meeting.
| Malay Phrase | Phonetic Guide | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Siapa nama awak? | (see-ah-pah nah-mah ah-wah?) | What is your name? (Lit: Who your name?) |
| Nama saya [John]. | (nah-mah sah-yah [John].) | My name is [John]. |
| Malay Phrase | Phonetic Guide | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Awak dari mana? | (ah-wah dah-ree mah-nah?) | Where are you from? (Lit: You from where?) |
| Saya dari [England]. | (sah-yah dah-ree [England].) | I am from [England]. |
One of the beautiful simplicities of Malay is how questions are formed. Often, you just substitute the information you want with a question word. There's no complex reordering like in English.
Example: You are simply swapping the answer (`Ali`, `Kanada`) with the question word (`Siapa`, `Mana`).
Master these introductory questions and answers.
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Complete the conversation with the correct words: `mana`, `Siapa`, `dari`, `Nama`
A: Selamat pagi. _______ nama awak?
B: _______ saya Siti. Awak dari _______?
A: Saya _______ Australia.
A: Selamat pagi. Siapa nama awak?
B: Nama saya Siti. Awak dari mana?
A: Saya dari Australia.Imagine you meet a Malay speaker for the first time. Write down the two sentences you would use to tell them your name and where you are from.
Nama saya [Your Name].
Saya dari [Your Country].
Example: Nama saya Sarah. Saya dari Amerika Syarikat.
While using first names is very common and friendly, be aware of polite titles when addressing elders or in formal situations. These are often used before the first name.
For example, you might address an older gentleman as `Encik Hassan`. As a learner, simply using their first name after they introduce themselves is perfectly acceptable and won't cause offense.
A simple dialogue between a tourist, Sarah, and a local, Amir, at a coffee shop.
Amir: Selamat pagi. Apa khabar? (suh-lah-mat pah-gee. ah-pah kah-bar?)
Sarah: Selamat pagi. Khabar baik, terima kasih. (suh-lah-mat pah-gee. kah-bar bah-eek, tuh-ree-mah kah-seh.)
Amir: Nama saya Amir. Siapa nama awak? (nah-mah sah-yah ah-meer. see-ah-pah nah-mah ah-wah?)
Sarah: Nama saya Sarah. (nah-mah sah-yah sah-rah.)
Amir: Awak dari mana, Sarah? (ah-wah dah-ree mah-nah, sah-rah?)
Sarah: Saya dari Kanada. (sah-yah dah-ree kah-nah-dah.)
Amir: Good morning. How are you?
Sarah: Good morning. Fine, thank you.
Amir: My name is Amir. What is your name?
Sarah: My name is Sarah.
Amir: Where are you from, Sarah?
Sarah: I am from Canada.
Hebat! (Great!) You can now handle a basic introduction from start to finish. In the next chapter, we will learn another crucial building block for conversation: Nombor 1-10 (Numbers 1-10). This will allow you to start talking about quantities, prices, and more.