How To Learn Malay From Government Leaflets In Singapore

Problem
I often pick up a government leaflet in Singapore and find half of it is in Malay. Is this a waste of my time?

Answer
No. After I have read the English, I have a chance to learn some words of Malay, which they call Bahasa (language) Malay Language. Presumably as opposed to Malay race or nationality.

I can immediately recognize several often repeated words, plus one of two which are similar to the English.

Malay - English
air - water
anda you/your
bar - bar
besar - bazaar
dan - and
Gratis - free
Ingrisjalan - road or street
jalan -street
jalan jalan - walk about, journey, Stroll
Juni - June

Kartu - card
krim - cream
lokal - local
makan - food
Mei - May
orang - person / adult
restoran - restaurant
Tarif - tarif / fare /price
tiket - ticket
tradisional - traditional

Useful Websites
LANGUAGES
amazon - books including phrasebooks and dictionaries from Berlitz, Lonely Planet and others.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=malay+language
This is the UK website. You may find different books and prices and postage on
Amazon.com
Duolingo - free language courses and discussion forums
https://forum.duolingo.com/comment/20796214/Malay-Basics-1
Duolingo also have tinycards. These flashcards reverse when you click and then ask you to select from three multiple choice answers.
https://tinycards.duolingo.com/decks/Seft5g/malay?lesson=1

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english-malaysian/one_1

TRAVEL

visitsingapore.com
singaporeair.com (Singapore Airlines)
visit-malaysia.com

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Teacher of English and other languages. Home tutor and workshop leader. Contact me if you or your college or business would like lessons.

Today's Ten Easy Indonesian and Malaysian Words

Problem
How to learn Malay or Indonesian (both the same) in a hurry.

Answer
Start with
1 Words which are the same or nearly the same in English.
2 Learn phrases or sentences consisting of two words.
3 Learn useful sentences.

Story
I raided my own bookshelves for old CDs and phrase books. I found two phrase books and two discs from long ago travels when I bought them but did not have the time and energy to learn.

Indonesian (and Malay)- English

a n d a - your
b a l k o n - balcony
bis - bus
b u k u - book
b u k u a n d a - your book
c i n a - China
c o k l a t - chocolate
d a n - and (same letters, mixed up)
k a m e r a - camera
k a r p e t - carpet
m u s i k - music
p a s a r - bazaar (it looks different, but p and b and the same upside down, remove the double a from the English and it is almost the same word) also when you say it the sound is very similar)

English - Malaysian /Indonesian
and - dan
balcony - b a l k o n
bazaar - pasar (it looks different, but p and b and the same upside down, remove the double a from the English and it is almost the same word) also when you say it the sound is very similar) Bazaar or market
book - b u k u
bus - bis
camera - kamera
carpet - karpet
China - cina
chocolate - c o k l a t
music - m u s i k
your - a n d a
your book - b u k u a n d a

Easy ways to remember
Child is anak ; children - plurals just double the word, anak-anak. How do you remember. Children create anarchy. a n a k.

Spaces are inserted to prevent the words being changed by an automatic spell checker.
However, the spaces also help you concentrate on each letter of a new word.


Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker, English teacher and tutor.