You can now make statements. Let's learn how to ask questions! These essential question words will turn your monologues into dialogues and allow you to seek all kinds of information.
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
| Question Word | English | Example Question |
|---|---|---|
| Apa (ah-pah) | What | Apa itu? (What is that?) |
| Siapa (see-ah-pah) | Who | Siapa nama awak? (Who is your name?) |
| Di mana (dee mah-nah) | Where | Di mana rumah awak? (Where is your house?) |
| Bila (bee-lah) | When | Bila awak sampai? (When did you arrive?) |
| Kenapa (kuh-nah-pah) | Why | Kenapa awak sedih? (Why are you sad?) |
| Bagaimana (bah-gai-mah-nah) | How | Bagaimana keadaan awak? (How is your condition? / How are you?) |
For some question words, there are formal and more common casual versions. Using the casual version will make you sound more natural in everyday speech.
Example: Asking "How are you?" can be `Apa khabar?` (most common), `Bagaimana keadaan awak?` (very formal), or even `Macam mana?` (very casual, between friends).
Master these fundamental question words with our flashcard deck.
Import Chapter 7 Flashcards(Requires login to import/study)
Fill in the blanks with `Apa`, `Siapa`, `Di mana`, `Bila`, `Kenapa`, or `Macam mana`.
Translate the following questions into Malay.
In English, we often use a rising intonation at the end of a sentence to mark it as a question. While this can also happen in Malay, it's less crucial. The presence of the question word (`Apa`, `Siapa`, etc.) is what clearly signals a question. You can use a more level or slightly falling intonation at the end of the sentence and still be perfectly understood. This can make sounding "natural" a little easier for beginners.
A short dialogue where someone is looking for their things.
Ahmad: Alamak! Di mana buku saya? (ah-lah-mahk! dee mah-nah boo-koo sah-yah?)
Fatimah: Buku? Apa itu di atas meja? (boo-koo? ah-pah ee-too dee ah-tahs may-jah?)
Ahmad: Bukan. Itu buku awak. Kenapa awak tidak guna? (boo-kahn. ee-too boo-koo ah-wah. kuh-nah-pah ah-wah tee-dah goo-nah?)
Fatimah: Saya akan guna nanti. Bila awak nampak buku awak? (sah-yah ah-kahn goo-nah nahn-tee. bee-lah ah-wah nahm-pahk boo-koo ah-wah?)
Ahmad: Pagi tadi. Saya tidak tahu di mana sekarang. (pah-gee tah-dee. sah-yah tee-dah tah-hoo dee mah-nah suh-kah-rahng.)
Ahmad: Oh no! Where is my book?
Fatimah: Book? What is that on the table?
Ahmad: No. That is your book. Why are you not using it?
Fatimah: I will use it later. When did you see your book?
Ahmad: This morning. I don't know where it is now.
Syabas! You can now ask all the fundamental questions. In the next chapter, we will learn about `Ini dan Itu` (This and That). Combining these with your new question words will allow you to ask much more specific questions, like "What is *this*?" and "Why did you buy *that*?".