How many words are in this list?

This page gives 100 Malay words on “Politeness and small talk”. The full topic holds 129 in the KoKo app: 51 at the easy level, 45 at the medium level and 33 at the hard level.

Which words should I start with?

With level 1: these are the easiest words of the topic. Move on to level 2 once they come to you without thinking, then to level 3.

How can I remember this Malay vocabulary?

By seeing each word again at longer and longer intervals, just before you forget it: that is spaced repetition. The KoKo app does it for you and tells you each day which words to review.

Can I print this list or save it as a PDF?

Yes. The “Print the list” button at the top of the page opens your device’s print dialog: choose to save as PDF to keep the 100 words and their translation, with nothing else around them.

Malay vocabulary: greetings and polite phrases

Hello, thank you, please, sorry, see you soon: the polite Malay phrases for greeting, thanking and starting a conversation.

Here are 100 Malay words on “Politeness and small talk”, translated into English and sorted from easiest to hardest.

Level 1: easy 39 words

Malay	English
sila dahulu	after you
bersulang	cheers
semoga berjaya	good luck
selamat tidur	good nightWhen parting to go to sleep
sampai jumpa	goodbye
selamat hari jadi	happy birthday
selamat tahun baru	happy New Year
selamat malam	have a good eveningWhen leaving someone early in the evening
selamat tengah hari	helloGreeting on arrival, during the day
hai	hiInformal greeting
bagaimana menyebutnya	how do you say
saya tidak tahu	I do not know
saya tidak faham	I do not understand
tidak apa-apa	it does not matter
semangat	keep it up
anggap sahaja rumah sendiri	make yourself at home
boleh saya bantu	may I help you
tidak	no
tidak masalah	no problem
terima kasih kembali	not at all
tentu saja	of course
baiklah	okay
sebentar	one moment
sampai nanti	see you shortly
sampai jumpa lagi	see you soon
syukurlah	so much the better
maaf	sorryApology
terima kasih	thank you
sayang sekali	that is a pity
berkenalan	to get acquainted
memperkenalkan	to introduce
memperkenalkan diri	to introduce oneself
sampai lain kali	until next time
awas	watch out
apa maksudnya	what does it mean
ada khabar apa	what is new
dengan senang hati	with pleasureEnthusiastic acceptance
ya	yes
sama-sama	you are welcomeEveryday use

Level 2: medium 35 words

Malay	English
permohonan maaf	apology
harapan terbaik	best wishes
perbualan	conversation
bolehkah anda	could you
perbincangan	discussion
adakah anda boleh berbahasa Inggeris	do you speak English
selamat makan	enjoy your meal
tumpang lalu	excuse me
selamat tinggal	farewell
ikut saya	follow me
semoga cepat sembuh	get well soon
selamat petang	good eveningGreeting on arrival, from late afternoon onwards
jabat tangan	handshake
selamat hujung minggu	have a good weekend
tolong saya	help me
saya mahu	I would like
perkenalan	introduction
jemputan	invitation
selamat Hari Krismas	merry Christmas
lebih perlahan	more slowly
sudahlah	never mind
tolong	please
gembira berkenalan dengan anda	pleased to meet you
teguran	reproach
terima kasih sebanyak-banyaknya	thanks a million
baik sekali	that is kind
memohon maaf	to apologise
menyapa seseorang	to approach someone
menyapa	to greet
menjemput	to invite
mendoakan	to wish
penyambutan	welcomeNoun, the act of receiving someone
sungguh disayangkan	what a shame
siapa nama anda	what is your name
kembali	you are welcomeFormal register

Level 3: hard 26 words

Malay	English
izinkan saya	allow me
keheningan kekok	awkward silence
sila masuk	come in
penghiburan	comfort
pujian	compliment
galakan	encouragement
sapaan hormat	formal address
sapaan	greeting
halo	helloOn the phone, when picking up
sabar sebentar	hold on
biadab	ill mannered
salah faham	misunderstanding
takziah	my condolences
gembira bertemu anda	nice to meet you
sila tunggu	please hold on
ungkapan sopan	polite formula
dengan sopan	politely
kesopanan	politeness
tolong ulang	repeat
kekasaran	rudeness
sila duduk	sit down
mengucapkan tahniah	to congratulate
mengganggu	to disturb
mencelah	to interrupt
mencium pipi	to kiss on the cheek
menyapa dengan akrab	to use informal address

Mini quiz

5 words from this page, picked at random. Find their translation.

Frequently asked questions

How many words are in this list?: This page gives 100 Malay words on “Politeness and small talk”. The full topic holds 129 in the KoKo app: 51 at the easy level, 45 at the medium level and 33 at the hard level.
Which words should I start with?: With level 1: these are the easiest words of the topic. Move on to level 2 once they come to you without thinking, then to level 3.
How can I remember this Malay vocabulary?: By seeing each word again at longer and longer intervals, just before you forget it: that is spaced repetition. The KoKo app does it for you and tells you each day which words to review.
Can I print this list or save it as a PDF?: Yes. The “Print the list” button at the top of the page opens your device’s print dialog: choose to save as PDF to keep the 100 words and their translation, with nothing else around them.