Instant Indonesian and Malay - numbers one to five

Problem
How do you remember the numbers in Malay and Indonesian languages?

Answer
Look for similarities to the English words.


English

1 One - Satu (S for Single on a Saturday night and Satu)
2 Dua - Two (DU for dual and duo and dua)
3 Tiga - Three (T for Three and Tiga)
4 Empat - empathy EMPAT a foursome with empathy, like the US TV series Friends
5 Lima - five l-I-m-a - second letter is I and first letter is an upright

Now look at the words again
Malay /Indonesian - English
satu
dua
tiga
e m p a t
lima

Read the reminders again

1 One - Satu (S for Single on a Saturday night and Satu)
2 Dua - Two (DU for dual and duo and dua)
3 Tiga - Three (T for Three and Tiga)
4 Empat - empathy EMPAT a foursome with empathy, like the US TV series Friends
5 Lima - five l-I-m-a - second letter is I and first letter is an upright

If you are in either Indonesia or Malaysia whenever you see or hear the numbers one to five you should be able to remember or work out what they mean.

0 - nol (Indonesian)
The Indonesian word for zero is easier to remember than Malay. The Indonesia number for one is NOL, looks like nul - nul and void, or nil (for example scoring in a tennis match 'another number-nil'). N O L starts with the letters NO - no number, nobody on the grassy knoll.

0 -

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, teacher of English and other languages, author and speaker.
Please like my posts, share and bookmark them.