Getting around in Malay
Left, right, the station, one ticket, where is the toilet. Play the ten Malay words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 10 Malay phrases in this lesson
- Di mana tandas?dee MAH-na TAN-das
- Where is the toilet?
- Macam mana nak pergi ke...?MA-cham MA-na nak PER-gee keh
- How do I get to...?
- Ke kirikeh KEE-ree
- To the left
- Ke kanankeh KA-nan
- To the right
- Terus ke depanTEH-roos keh DEH-pan
- Straight ahead
- SiniSEE-nee
- Here
- Stesen kereta apiSTES-en keh-REH-ta AH-pee
- Train station
- Basbahs
- Bus
- Lapangan terbangla-PA-ngan ter-BANG
- Airport
- Satu tiket, tolongSA-too TI-ket, TO-long
- One ticket, please
Tandas is toilet. Signs read Tandas or WC, with P for Perempuan (women) and L for Lelaki (men). Cafes and restaurants generally expect you to be a customer; a quick drink buys access without question.
Terus means straight or continue. Depan means front. Used in navigation like any other language, though GPS (Waze) is more reliable than asking for directions in heavy traffic.
Close position marker. Sana means over there. Sini-sana (here-there) plus pointing solves most location conversations.
Kereta api literally means fire cart, the old poetic name for trains. KL Central Station is the main hub for express trains and the LRT (Light Rail Transit). Comfortable and reliable for intercity travel.
Malaysia has an extensive intercity bus network and local city buses (Go KL in Kuala Lumpur). Fares are cheap and buses run frequently. Book intercity buses online or at stations; board, tap your card, off you go.
Literally "flying field".
Tiket is ticket. Buy at machines or windows, tap at gates for LRT and monorail. Zones matter for buses; the system is less transparent than Singapore but still manageable with a transit map app.