Questions

Malay Lesson 9 (Questions and Misunderstanding)

Duration: 30 mins

Lessons Malay Lessons
Linguistic Malay Vocabulary
Culture Malay Phrases
Structure Malay Grammar

This 9th lesson teaches an important aspect in Malay which is the interrogative form also called questions. In addition, there is a list of vocabulary terms about misunderstanding and finally some commonly used phrases. I will try to give examples using both vocabulary and grammar. That way it will be easy for you to see the words when they are separate and when they are in a sentence. Going through the whole page should take about 30 min. Make sure to read the pronunciation and hear the audio as well. If you have any question about this course, please email me directly at Malay Classes.

Questions

Being able to ask questions is what makes us curious beings, which in turns broadens our knowledge. It is no different when it comes to learning Malay. You will always be asking questions, and the following are some tools to help you in that quest.

The following are the 5 Ws + "how" commonly used adverbs to express the interrogative form. Most likely, whenever a question needs to be asked, one of them should be used. The table contains 3 columns (English, Malay, and Audio). Make sure you repeat each word after hearing it by either clicking on the audio button or by reading the pronunciation. That should help with memorization as well as improving your pronunciation.

Interrogative Form in Malay

Questions Malay
How?Bagaimana?
What?Apa?
When?Bila?
Where?Dimana?
Who?Siapa?
Why?kenapa?

Now we will try to implement the adverbs above into full Malay sentences. That way you will be able to use the word not only by itself but embedded in a structure.

Malay Questions in a Sentence

Can I come?Boleh saya datang?
Can I help you?Boleh saya bantu anda?
Can you help me?Boleh anda bantu saya?
Do you know her?Anda kenal dia?
Do you speak English?Bolehkah anda berbahasa Inggeris?
How difficult is it?Macam mana susahnya?
How far is this?Berapa jauhnya ni?
How much is this?Berapakah harganya?
How would you like to pay?Anda nak bayar macam mana?
What is this called?Ini panggil apa?
What is your name?Apa nama awak?
What time is it?Pukul berapa tu?
When can we meet?Bila kita boleh jumpa?
Where do you live?Dimana awak tinggal?
Who is knocking at the door?Siapa ketuk pintu tu?
Why is it expensive?Kenapa ia mahal?

Questions?

If you have any questions, please contact me using the Malay contact form on the header above.

Vocabulary List about Misunderstanding

There are times when you will not understand what a person said in Malay, or simply that you want them to repeat a word. The following are 24 expressions used to clear misunderstandings. Very essential to any conversation!

Misunderstanding in Malay

Misunderstanding Malay
Can you repeat?Bolehkah anda ulang?
Can you speak slowly?Boleh cakap perlahan sikit?
Did you understand what I said?Adakah anda faham apa yang saya katakan?
Don't worry!Jangan risau
Excuse me? (i.e. I beg your pardon?)Harap maaf, bolehkah diulang?
How do you say "OK" in French?Macam mana nak kata 'OK' dalam bahasa Perancis?
I don't know!Saya tidak tahu!
I don't understand!Saya tidak faham
I need to practice my FrenchSaya perlu berlatih bahasa Perancis
Is that right?Adakah ianya betul?
Is that wrong?Salah ke tu?
MistakeKesalahan
My French is badBahasa Perancis saya tidak bagus
No problem!Tiada masalah!
QuicklySecara pantas
SlowlySecara perlahan-lahan
Sorry (to apologize)Minta maaf
To speakUntuk bercakap
What does that word mean in English?Apa makna perkataan itu dalam bahasa Inggeris?
What is this?Apakah ini?
What should I say?Apa yang harus saya katakan?
What?Apa dia?
What's that called in French?Apakah namanya dalam bahasa Perancis?
Write it down please!Tolong tuliskan!

Daily Conversation in Malay

Finally, a list of some common phrases that you might come across from time to time. For a complete list of commonly used sentences, please visit our Malay Phrases page. Enjoy!

Common Expressions in Malay

English Malay
ThisIni
ThatItu
HereNah ini
ThereTu dia
In The MorningWaktu pagi
In the eveningLewat petang
At NightWaktu malam
Really!Betul kah?
Look!Tengok!
Hurry up!Cepat lah!

Fun Facts

Language Quote: The oldest written language was believed to be written in about 4500 BC.

Congratulations! You finished your 9th lesson in Malay about questions, and misunderstanding. Are you ready for the next lesson? We recommend Malay Lesson 10. You can also simply click on one of the links below or go back to our Learn Malay homepage.

Lessons Malay Lessons
Linguistic Malay Vocabulary
Culture Malay Phrases
Structure Malay Grammar