Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TALKING THE TALK
As a federation of former British colonies, Malaysia is a fantastic country to visit for English speakers, but lin-
guists will be pleased to tackle the region's multitude of other languages. Malaysia's national language is Bahasa
Malaysia. This is often a cause of confusion for travellers, who logically give a literal translation to the two words
and call it the 'Malaysian language'. In fact you cannot speak 'Malaysian'; the language is Malay.
Other languages commonly spoken in the region include Tamil, Hokkien, Cantonese and Mandarin, but there
are also Chinese dialects, various other Indian and Orang Asli languages and even, in Melaka, a form of 16th-
century Portuguese known as Kristang. All Malaysians speak Malay, and many are fluent in at least two other
languages.
Even if you stick to English, you'll have to get used to the local patois - Manglish - which includes plenty of
Mandarin, Cantonese and Tamil words and phrases. Many words are used solely to add emphasis and have no
formal meaning, which can make things a little confusing. Used incorrectly, Manglish can come across as quite
rude, so listen carefully and take local advice before trying it out in polite company. To get you started here are a
few of the most common Manglish words and expressions:
Ah
Suffix used for questions, eg 'Why late, ah?'
Got
Used for all tenses of the verb 'to have' or in place of 'there is/are' eg 'Got money, ah?' and 'Got noodles in
the soup.'
Lah
Very common suffix used to affirm statements, eg 'Don't be stupid lah!'
Le
Used to soften orders, eg 'Give le.'
Liao
Used similarly to 'already', eg 'Finished liao.'
Lor
Used for explanations, eg 'Just is lor.'
Meh
An expression of skepticism, eg 'Really meh.'
One
Adds emphasis to end of a sentence, eg 'That car so fast one.'
Ready
Another form of 'already', eg 'No thanks, eat ready.'
