Malay Gender

Welcome to the fifth Malay lesson about gender. This time we will view a list of people, feminine and masculine, followed by grammar rules, finally a list of expressions in Malay to help you practice your daily phrases.

man Lelaki

woman Wanita

husband Suami

wife Isteri

boy Budak lelaki

girl Budak perempuan

father Ayah

mother Ibu

Gender Grammar Rules

In general, gender is used to distinguish between male and female, sometimes referred to as masculine and feminine. For example: my son and daughter are students the noun [son] is masculine, while [daughter] is feminine. The following examples use gender in different ways and places to demonstrate their behavior.

Grammar + Rules - Malay
my son is a student [masculine + noun] Anak saya seorang pelajar.
her daughter is a student [feminine + noun] Anak perempuannya seorang pelajar.
he has a tall brother [adjective + masculine] (Abang/Adik lelaki) dia tinggi.
she has a tall sister [adjective + feminine] (Kakak/Adik perempuan) dia tinggi.
his brothers are young [plural masculine + adjective] (Abang-abang/Adik-adik lelaki) dia masih muda.
his sisters are young [plural feminine + adjective] (Kakak-kakak/Adik-adik perempuan) dia masih muda.

The list below will probably provide more clarification. These are family members (males and females). I think it would be wise to memorize them as part of your important vocabulary list.

son Anak lelaki

daughter Anak perempuan

brother Abang/adik lelaki

sister Kakak/adik perempuan

grandfather Datuk

grandmother Nenek

child Anak

children Anak-anak

Expressions in Malay

Now it's time to practice expressions used in daily conversations. If you're a beginner in learning Malay, then the phrases below are something you would want to know.

English - Malay
What do you mean? Apa yang kamu maksudkan?
I don't understand Saya tidak faham
I don't know Saya tidak tahu
What is that called in Malay? Apa itu dalam Bahasa Melayu?
What is this? Apa ini?
What does that word mean in English? Apa maksud perkataan itu dalam Bahasa Inggeris?
Sorry (if you made a mistake) Maaf

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