Live & Learn Malay
Home>Language Index>>Malay Audio Lessons Learning to speak Malay opens the door to a fascinating world of cultures that descend from ancient times. Many consider the language to be among those easiest learnt by English speakers. Nonetheless, if you're going to progress in the language you'll need to get your hands on some good language learning resources. We've researched what's available and unearthed the best resouces that will help you learn this exciting language. If it isn't on this page, it's not worth using! Find advice on Malay audio lessons, language software, dictionaries, exercise books and much more... Did you know? The following English words originate from Malay: bamboo, orang-utan, sarong, amok, compound, gong, ketchup, mandarin, tea.
Useful Phrases Selamat Datang - Welcome (used as a greeting) Selamat tinggal - Good bye Jumpa lagi - See you again Terima kasih - thankyou Nama awak apa? - What is your name? Nama saya Michael - My name is Michael Ya - Yes Tidak - No Minta maaf - I apologise
An Austronesian language spoken by the Malay people and other peoples who live in the Malay peninsula, Southern Thailand, the Phillipines, Singapore, central eastern Sumatra, the Riau islands, and some parts of the coast of Borneo. Also called Behasa Melayu, it is the official language of Malaysia. The language was used as the lingua franca throughout the archipelago since the 15th Century. When Islam arrived in SE Asia in the 14th Century, the Arabic script was introduced to replace the traditional Indian writing system. Later, due to British and Dutch influence in the region, the Latin script was adopted. A total of 20 - 30 million people speak the language in its different forms, making it the 54th most widely spoken language on earth. There are many dialects of the language, some of which are mutually unintelligible. One of them, Indonesian, originates from Behasa Melayu but is separated by some centuries of language development. The dialect, also known as Bahasa Indonesia is the native language of the 250 million inhabitants of Indonesia, making it one of the most widely spoken languages on earth. Many people consider Malay and Indonesian to be two of the easiest languages to learn. The grammar is very straightforward like Chinese, but there are no tones or characters. Pronunciation is easy for speakers of European languages, and has a logical orthography.
Learn OnlineIf you don't live in a Malay-speaking country it can be hard to practise what you learn. However with the dawn of the interent age the world has become a very small place. A great way to learn is by using a language exchange site to practise speaking or writing with a native who wants to learn English. All you need is an internet connection and a webcam. The following sites provide this service: Cultural Quirks: The Malay people are by far the largest ethnic group in Malaysia, making up over half of the population. By definition of the constitution all Malay-people are Muslims, although the traditional culture can still be found in the villages. The Chinese have been settling in the country for centuries, and now form the country's second largest ethnic group. They are usually Tao Buddhists and maintain strong links to their ancestral homeland. The Indians make up the third largest ethnic group, whereas the indigenous tribes, the oldest inhabitants, make up only 5% percent of the population. There are about 100 different tribal groups in the country. National Recipes:
Malaysian food reflects the multi-racial nature of the country, having roots in Chinese, Thai and Indian cuisine. The different ethnic groups all have their own dishes, but many are derived from several ethnic influences. Rice and noodles are staple foods, and Indian breads such as Naan are eaten for breakfast. Some popular dishes include Kangkung Belacan and Keropok Lekor. Authentic-Recipes-from-Malaysia Traditional Music: The natives of the Malay peninsula played in small ensembles called "kertok" - a swift and rythmic xylophone music. In Malacca "ronggeng" is the traditional folk music, and is played with violin, drums, button accordion and an Indonesian gong. The Arabic derived "zapin" music is also very popular throughout the country, as is "Dondang Sayan", a slow and intense form of music with mixes influences from China, India, the Arabs, Portugal and traditional music. Listen to some clips of traditional Malay music below:
Have you learned to speak this fascinating language. If so we'd love to hear how you did it. Which resources did you find useful? Which weren't so great? Please e-mail us your findings using the form below.
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is a lovely recipe book which gives instructions on how to prepare some of the country's most mouth watering dishes.
