Instant Indonesian and Malay Language

If you go to Indonesia the language you see is the same as the language in Malaysia. If you go to Malaysia the language is the same as in Indonesia. If you go to Singapore, the four languages are English, Mandarin (Chinese), Tamil, Malay. You will see the Malay words on your train carriage and bus and at the airport. Your Malay Muslim taxi driver will appreciate hearing a few words of Malay.

Even if you don't know enough to speak fluently, you can point to written words, understand answer, follow what staff are calling to each other in restaurants and hotels, or asking at reception. If you are doing business, when you don't speak enough to converse, it helps to know roughly what people are saying, whether you will reach an agreement, stop for coffee, whether you are being praised, ignored, or insulted whether the man who is angry and leaving the room in mid-meeting has just heard there is a bomb scare, or a pizza delivery, or his pen has run out of ink.

Problem
How do I learn Malay or Indonesian in a hurry or easily?

Answer
Start with these words:
1 Words you often see on signs. (1 Because they are needed. 2 Because the frequent repetition will help you remember.)
2 Words which are identical or so similar in both languages that they are easy to recognise and remember.
3 Words which are essential.

Tips - words which are similar in English and Malay / Indonesian
Bahasa Malay (Malay Language) - English
a m b u l a n s - ambulance
apel - apples
apotek - chemist
bank - bank
b i r - beer
b o t o l - bottle
cartu credit - credit card
d o k t e r - doctor
d u a - two (as in "a duo" or 'dual citizenship")
Halo - hello
j a k e t - jacket
k a m e r a - camera
k a r t u - card
k a r t u p o s - postcard
kilo - kilo
komisinya - commission
k o n s e r - concert
lift - lift
m a n g g a - mango
melon - melon
mobile - car (not a mobile phone but a vehicle which keeps you mobile or moving)
nama - name
orang - person (as in orang u t a n g )
p a s p o r -passport
p i l - pill
p o l i s i - police
Pon sterling - pound sterling
p o s - post
rekening - bill/reckoning
tomat - tomatoes
turis - tourist
W.C. - toilet
ya - yes

English - Malay
Ambulance - a m b u l a n s
apple - a p e l (spaces inserted to thwart auto spell check)
bank - bank
beer - b i r
bottle - b o t o l
camera - k a m e r a
card - K a r t u
concert - k o n s e r
bill/reckoning - rekening
car - mobil
chemist (UK) or pharmacy (USA) - apotek
commission - Komisinya
credit card - k a r t u k r e d i t
doctor - d o k t e r
hello - halo
jacket - j a k e t
kilo - kilo
lift
mango - m a n g g a
melon - melon
name - nama
passport - p a s p o r
pill - p i l
police - p o l i s i
post - p o s
postcard - k a r t u p o s
pound sterling - pon sterling
toilet - w.c.
tourist - turis
two - d u a (as in dual citizenship or a duo)
tomatoes - tomat
yes - ya

Tip - Spelling
As you may have noticed, in Malay and Indonesian the letter c or ck with a hard coughing sound are show by the letter K.



Angela Lansbury, author and speaker. Books on Amazon and Lulu.com . Please like my posts, follow and share.