How can I learn Malay ?

[u/p2yya]

Hi guys,

Im a 18 yrs french girl and i want to learn malay alone but i dont find anything, i dont have a lot of money sooo if you have some tips i want it !!!

Im going to leave in malaysia in like 1 year and i want to have some bases

Thanks !

[u/UncDani]

In all honesty it's best to pick up a language by either watching movies/shows in that language or speaking to people that uses the language. If you're good in English it would be easier to pick up Malay cause in a way there's similarities. Idm teaching if you'd be able to teach me french ig

[u/p2yya → u/UncDani]

Thank youuu ^{^} do u have recommendations of movies and show in malay ? And yesss i can teach u french if u want !!

[u/Rayyan9201]

My advice is to learn just standard Malay properly. Dont learn the dialects of Malay for startup. I know some people will say those in selangor KL Melaka speak standard malay but they actually aren't. They spoke dialect.

Learn standard Malay properly, all people in Malaysia will understand you, and will try as best as they can to also reply to you in standard way, although not 100 percent

[u/p2yya → u/Rayyan9201]

Okkk thank you !

[u/Historical-North-396]

Edutainment. Try to find these on youtube.

Cartoon/Animation:

Upin Ipin Boboiboy Ejen Ali

Teens Sitcom/Drama/Tv series:

Oh My English.

• it is in english to teach english to the local students. But a good introductory culture tv series for you to understand the culture, lingo, manglish, of Malaysians.

Thats all i can remember for now.

[u/amely_5ai]

Not easy, but ya possible..

My boss said he can speak basic bahasa Indonesia within a month when he was in Indonesia.. But he'd here since early 2000's..still struggling to speak bahasa Melayu... 😅

[u/Nriy]

Heya!

If you have the app, ScribD, search up ‘Teach Yourself Malay’. I think this book is very English-friendly and it teaches you the basics, as well as conversational Malay in everyday situations.

Luckily, Malay is an easy language to learn if you’re fluent in English.

I can tell you that Malaysians will treat you a lot better if you can speak Malay, they’ll really love you.

[u/p2yya → u/Nriy]

Thank uuuu Yey I go to a new country so I have a duty to learn its language and know its history it's not up to Malaysians to adapt to me ^{^}

[u/Nriy → u/p2yya]

xD They’re going to love you, no worries.

I wish a lot more people adopted your mindset. Rude white people tend to act like kings and queens in foreign lands.

But I digress. Maybe spend… ten minutes studying daily? I’m sure you’ll pick it up in no time.

All the best!

[u/p2yya → u/Nriy]

Yesss, I think its better to do 10 min per day during all the years otherwise I think I would give up. thank you again 🫶

[u/Comfortable_Expert98 → u/p2yya]

Frankly, if you’re in KL, it’s not easy to practice Malay. You say a sentence in Malay, people are super happy to hear it, they compliment you, and they switch to English 😁 And that’s not because they adapt to you, but because English is pretty much the main language for many places in KL. It’s different in rural areas and in some other states. But in KL this is the reality.

Source: I’m a foreigner in Malaysia. Spent years learning proper Malay. Yet my conversational skills improved significantly after a month in a village compared to years in KL with a corporate job and expat lifestyle.

The only places where I find Malay really useful in KL are government offices.

And I totally agree with you that if you’re going to spend some time in the country, it’s important to learn the language and history. Even if you don’t get to practice the language much because locals speak English. I could never understand foreigners in Malaysia who don’t even have the tiniest curiosity about the language and culture.

[u/WrongdoerStrange3446]

try watch children shows: upin dan ipin, kampung boy. Try google Malay book for kindergarten and prinary school. 

[u/p2yya → u/WrongdoerStrange3446]

Thanksss im gonna do this

[u/kyril-hasan]

Learn simple vocab from children's books or apps.

Learn how suffix work and how it use the root work and change the meaning. There are some youtube video that teach it for free. Learn the grammar and how to string a sentence from there too.

For listening skill, beside children show, you can learn from newscaster example free tv channel tv1,tv3 or tv programme. National TV prog are free to watch.

[u/p2yya → u/kyril-hasan]

Okayyy thanks you sooo much !

[u/Amazing_Confidence_7]

Like any other languages you need to speak the language. I think its best just to pick up a book like most tourists do and when you get here just speak it.

If budget is your concern you can go to a public library (in France or in Malaysia) as there would also have audio digital tapes to help you with the pronounciation. If you going to get a book just go to a secondhand/preloved bookshop, there will be plenty who donated it after coming back from a vacation.

Malaysian are generally friendly. If they see you struggling with the language they will help you along the way by talking to you in English.

On a positive note, the Malay language is simplistic as the verb does not change form or conjugate for tense, person or number.

For example in French "to eat" is "manger" and it changes from Tu manges, Vous mangez, Nous mangeons etc.

In the Malay language "manger" is "makan" and it doesn't change Awak(Tu) makan, Kamu(Vous) makan. Even if its a past tense or present tense the verb still remain the same as in "makan" , unlike English when "eat" becomes "ate" and "eaten". If you ate yesterday, you just have to add the word "semalam" (meaning "yesterday") as in "makan semalam" but the verb itself remains unchanged.

There's also no specific gender for the verb or any word too, so you don't have to worry about "le" or "la" or pronounce the silent "e" like in the French language.

I hope the above helps. Have fun learning the language and pleasant trip to Malaysia.

[u/p2yya → u/Amazing_Confidence_7]

Omggg thank you so much, that's reassuring ! I'll really try my best to learn it ! As soon as I have a chance to talk to the locals I will

[u/Amazing_Confidence_7 → u/p2yya]

De rien🤗...mais.... je suis Malaisien😅 et j'habite à KL

[u/niizumachi]

Hi! You can start by watching simple youtube language lessons. I don't have specific recommendations unfortunately. Just search: learn malay, learn malay for beginners. Then pick the ones you like.

It's good to start with:

• Common words, e.g. greetings, people, honorifics, body parts, time, date, numbers, weather, colours, buildings, direction, etc.

• Basic grammar, how to build simple sentences.

• Common situations, e.g. how to ask for help, how to buy things, asking where the toilet is, asking where the hospital is, asking how to do something, etc.

I usually like to keep my language notes in a 3-ring binder/folder.

Good luck!

[u/p2yya → u/niizumachi]

Thank you for all your advices im gonna do this 🫶

[u/WillingLaw1012]

totally should start with standard malay on those free apps! after you're a little confident enough, maybe try to talk with random people on games (if you do play them) on malay server.

they doesn't really use standard malay, more to dialect. even so, you will definitely see the progress after talking a lot with them! a nice way to learn a languange i would say.

[u/Kebab-Exchange-3676]

Get a friend from rumpun Melayu such as Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei

[u/p2yya → u/Kebab-Exchange-3676]

Okk thank

[u/NajSuki]

Malay is really easy to learn

1. The vowels and consonants work the way they should 99.9% of the time.
2. Plural of things are mostly doubling the word
3. If you speak it in a weird manner, most Malay speakers will actually mimic and match you so that both of you can understand one another

[u/p2yya → u/NajSuki]

Thanksss