Greetings
Terima kasih
tuh-REE-mah KAH-sih
Thank you — the universal polite expression; locals appreciate the effort even if English is fine.
Sama-sama
SAH-mah SAH-mah
You're welcome / same-same — the warm standard reply to terima kasih.
Social
Lah
lah (neutral tone)
The quintessential Malaysian sentence particle — softens, emphasises or concludes a statement. 'OK lah' = Fine. 'Cannot lah' = Really can't. Don't overthink it, just lah.
Kiasu
kee-AH-soo (Hokkien)
Scared to lose; the competitive drive to get the best deal, seat or queue position. Used affectionately and critically in equal measure.
Jom!
jom
Let's go! / Come on! — casual Malay used constantly in Manglish: 'Jom makan', 'Jom lah'.
Daily life
Boleh / Cannot
BO-leh
'Boleh' = can / OK / it's possible. 'Cannot' = Malaysian English for 'no, that's not possible'. Both are used freely in Manglish daily life.
Di mana...?
dee MAH-nah
Where is...? As in 'di mana stesen MRT?' (Where is the MRT station?)
Food
Mamak
MAH-mak
An Indian-Muslim restaurant — open 24/7, serving roti canai, teh tarik and mee goreng; the beating social heart of Malaysian daily life. 'Jom mamak!' = Let's go to the mamak!
Teh tarik
teh TAH-rick
Literally 'pulled tea' — sweet milky tea poured dramatically between cups to create foam. The national drink. Order it 'kurang manis' (less sweet) to taste the tea.
Makan
MAH-kan
To eat / food — as in 'let's makan' or 'any good makan around here?' Central to Malaysian conversation.
Emergency
Tolong
TO-long
Please / Help — 'tolong' is the polite request word; also used as 'tolong!' in an emergency.
Panggil ambulans!
PANG-gil AM-boo-lans
Call an ambulance! Emergency number is 999.
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.