Malaysian Malay→English

Translate Malaysian Malay to English the way locals mean it.

Malaysian Malay speakers often soften refusals, sarcasm, and reassurance with particles and casual shorthand that a textbook reader may take too literally.

Going the other way? English to Malaysian Malay

474 local dialects

AIRTranslate on iPhone choosing between Malay varieties

What locals actually say

Takpe lah, nanti aku settlekan.

No worries, I’ll sort it out later.

Takpe is a contraction of tak apa meaning it’s okay or no worries, while lah softens the reassurance and settlekan is casual Malay-English for handling something.

Kau ni boleh tahan juga eh.

You’re not bad, you know.

Boleh tahan literally suggests being able to endure, but colloquially it means fairly good or impressive, while juga and eh make the compliment more casual and understated.

Macam mana nak cakap eh, aku tak berapa setuju.

How do I put this? I don’t really agree.

Tak berapa is an understated way to say not really or not quite, and eh signals hesitation rather than a genuine question.

Duit aku tinggal lima puluh ringgit je sampai hujung bulan.

I’ve only got fifty ringgit left to last until the end of the month.

Ringgit names Malaysia’s currency, while je is the casual contraction of sahaja, meaning only.

Kena masuk lorong sebelah kedai mamak tu, kan?

We need to turn into the lane next to that mamak restaurant, right?

Kena is a colloquial Malaysian Malay construction for need to or must, and mamak refers to a Malaysian Indian-Muslim eatery.

Nasi lemak bungkus satu, sambal lebih, telur mata sekali.

One packet of nasi lemak, extra sambal, and a sunny-side-up egg too.

Bungkus signals takeaway food, while telur mata is the local menu term for a fried egg with the yolk visible.

Along, tolong tengokkan adik kejap.

Along, keep an eye on your younger sibling for a bit.

Along is a Malaysian Malay kinship term for the eldest child, and kejap is the casual form of sekejap, meaning for a short while.

Hujan pulak, habis macam mana nak jemur kain?

And now it’s raining, so how are we supposed to dry the laundry?

Pulak is the conversational Malaysian form of pula and signals a new, mildly exasperated turn of events.

Notes like these come with every AIRTranslate translation, so you learn why locals phrase it that way as you go.

How Malaysian Malay differs

Malaysian Malay in Rumi (Latin) script. Anda/awak by formality; standard Bahasa Melayu for formal text; casual register may use lah particles and colloquial contractions (tak, nak, macam mana) as locals text.

Sound like a local everywhere, not just here.

Every one of 474 dialects, with voice, camera, a keyboard for any app, and offline packs.

Choosing Spanish (Peru) from 471 local variants

Localization Notes explaining why locals say it that way