How to Learn Malay, Step by Step

To learn Malay, start reading on your first day, because you can sound out almost every word from its letters. About 90 million people speak Malay as their first language (2020–2023), and it is Malaysia's national language. Malay is written in Rumi, an alphabet of 26 Latin letters.

How to Learn Malay, Step by Step

Steps 1 to 3 help you read and build words. Steps 4 to 6 help you use them.

• 🔤Read Letter by LetterSay every letter, and remember that c is always the ch in “check.” In Malaysia, a final a often sounds like the a in “sofa,” as you can hear in baca (to read).
• 👯Say It Twice for a PluralMalay makes many plurals by repeating a word, so buku (book) becomes buku-buku (books).
• 🌱Learn Words From Their RootPrefixes like me- and ber- turn a root into new words, so jalan (road) gives berjalan (to walk). A dictionary lists both under the root.
• ⏰Show Time With Small WordsVerbs don't change for past or future. Add a word like akan (will), as in Saya akan melawat datuk saya (I will visit my grandfather).
• 🗺️Notice Where Indonesian DiffersPeople who speak Malay and Indonesian can mostly understand each other, but some words differ. A university is a universiti in Malaysia and a universitas in Indonesia.
• 🗣️Start With a Morning GreetingWhen you meet someone in the morning, say Selamat pagi (good morning). Then try everyday Malay with a tutor or a Malaysian friend.

You can hear words like baca on Wiktionary, and the PRPM dictionary comes from Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka. I Learn Malay teaches spoken Malay for everyday life, and italki lists Malay tutors. If you want a study plan shaped by your goal, read the best way to learn Malay, and to find out whether Malay is easy to learn, read the easiest way to learn Malay.

Find Where You Are

Bubblegum is a language app with Malay lessons about everyday life, such as ordering at a kopitiam (coffee shop). Each lesson comes from Poppy, your AI tutor, at one of six levels, with audio for each line. Look for the sentence that matches you, and begin there.

1. Level 1

   I'm just starting out or know only a few words.

   Read a kopitiam dialogue line by line, and say each word the way it's spelled.

   A Level 1 lesson about ordering coffee at a kopitiam →
2. Level 2

   I can handle simple exchanges.

   Read short café lessons, and note each word that has me- or ber- in front of its root.

3. Level 3

   I follow conversations on familiar topics.

   Watch I Learn Malay's videos about real-life Malaysia, and act out the same scenes with a tutor.

4. Level 4

   I understand most content but miss some nuance.

   Listen to the SBS Bahasa Melayu news podcast, and tell a partner about one story in Malay.

5. Level 5

   I read complex topics but rare words slow me down.

   Read BERNAMA's Malay news, and look up new roots in the PRPM dictionary.

6. Level 6

   I can read almost anything.

   Read Malay novels and opinion columns, and notice how writers mix formal and everyday Malay.

Frequently Asked Questions