How to Learn Indonesian and the Malay language

Flag of Malaysia

The flag of Malaysia resembles the US flag. Both have red and white stripes. The difference is that the American flag has stars, whilst the Malaysian flag has a yellow crescent and a solo multi-pointed yellow star. Learn the difference and you have learned to recognize two flags. Teach it to pupils or relatives and they will have learned to recognize two flags.


The flag of Indonesia resembles the flags of Poland and Singapore. You can learn to recognize three flags at the same time. The Indonesian flag is red above white. I have reproduced a flag flying with people because that is livelier but mainly because the white part of the flag disappears when you are seeing it against a white paper page or screen.

The Singapore flag has an additional crescent and star on the red at the top.

The flag of Poland has the colours reversed.

Problem
How do I learn Malay, Indonesian or any language systematically, a minimum number of new words every day, plus some grammar?

Answer
A  Duolingo course in Indonesia is out. Malay is very similar, like American and English, with just some additional vocabulary in both languages. Indonesia was partly under the rule of speakers of Portuguese so Indonesian includes words which are Portuguese or which are developed from Portuguese. Indonesia includes many islands and the larger inhabited islands also have their local words.

My new year's resolution is to learn ten new words (or do one Duolingo session) every day. If I miss a day, I catch up the next day.

In Singapore you will hear all four of the national languages in the train announcements and announcements on the stations which you can hear near the ticket office and in the toilets nearby even if you do not go through the barrier to get on a train. The four national languages are English, Chinese (Mandarin), Malay and Tamil.

You will hear the English announcments often end with the words 'thank you'. It is easy to spot that the Chinese for thank you sounds like shay-shay, the Malay is terimah kasih and the tamil is nandri.

Other words you will quickly learn are the words for drink and food which you will see on roadside stalls in Malaysia. Makanan and minuman.

How do you remember which is which?  I think of make me some food. Makanan.

Drinks is minuman. Minimum amount of drink because no alcohol is served to Muslims. Minuman. You will probably not be able to buy it either except in certain hotels which have licenses. Places serving alcohol are sometimes run by the Chinese or Indians who are Malay but not Muslims. Bali is Hindu. A Muslim man will not drink alcohol in public.

English - Malay/Indonesian
drink - minum
drinks - minuman
food - makanan
thank you - terimah kasih
danger  (hazard) - bahaya

Malay/Indonesian - English
makanan - food
minuman - drinks / (have a drink)
terimah kasih - thank you
bahaya - danger (hazard)


A word you frequently see is
BAHAYA.
This mostly means danger. But in context it could mean hazard.

The sentence structure of Malay and Indonesian is simpler than English so it is easier to learn. The verb to be in many languages does not exist or is omitted.
The English sentence 'my name is' translates into 'my name' or I called.

I and me (and sometimes my) are also the same word in several languages and the language Esperanto, the most popular made up language, quick to learn and to communicate with others whose languages are hard, or whose languages are easy so they find English, Russian, German or your language hard.

Your new friend or colleague or companion at a class learning English who uses abbreviated sentences is not tired nor ill nor daft but may be translating words literally from Malay or Indonesian into English. If you listen carefully to what they are saying in English, you will get a clue as to how to construct a sentence in their language.

Useful Websites
duolingo.com
google translate
https://en.bab.la/dictionary/indonesian-english/berbahaya
August Even In Singapore
https://www.youngparents.com.sg/sponsored/5-ways-to-help-your-kid-love-mother-tongue-languages/?utm_source=outbrain&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=sp_001_moe





About the Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author of 20 books, and speaker.