Malay Verbs

Welcome to the 10th lesson about verbs in Malay. We will first learn about the present tense, followed by the past tense, and future tense. We will also analyze some grammar rules, and finally practice how to ask for direction in Malay.

Verbs are used to express an action (I swim) or a state of being (I am). The present tense in Malay conveys a situation or event in the present time. Here are some examples:

Present Tense - Malay
I speak English Saya berbahasa Inggeris.
you speak French Anda berbahasa Perancis
he speaks German Dia berbahasa Jerman.
she speaks Italian Dia berbahasa Itali.
we speak Arabic Kami berbahasa Arab.
they speak Chinese Mereka berbahasa Cina.

The past tense in Malay conveys a situation or event in the past time. Here are some examples:

Past Tense - Malay
I visited France Saya telah melawat Perancis.
you visited Italy Anda telah melawat Itali.
he visited Morocco Dia telah melawat Maghribi.
she visited China Dia telah melawat Cina.
we visited Mexico Kami telah melawat Mexico.
they visited Kenya Mereka telah melawat Kenya.

The future tense in Malay conveys a situation or event which is anticipated to happen in the future. Here are some examples:

Future Tense - Malay
I will drink milk Saya akan minum susu.
you will drink coffee Anda akan minum kopi.
he will drink tea Dia akan minum teh.
she will drink water Dia akan minum air.
we will drink apple juice Kami akan minum jus epal.
they will drink tea Mereka akan minum teh.

Now let's take a break and refresh our vocabulary by learning the body parts.

ear Telinga

eye Mata

mouth Mulut

nose Hidung

hair Rambut

face Muka

head Kepala

heart Jantung

hand Tangan

fingers Jari-jari

leg Kaki

feet Kaki

Travel Phrases in Malay

Imagine yourself in some Malay speaking country. The following travel phrases are highly important and can help you avoid misunderstanding. Try to memorize them and practice!

English - Malay
Can you help me? Bolehkah anda tolong saya?
Can I help you? Bolehkah saya tolong anda?
Where is the airport? Di mana lapangan terbang?
Go straight Jalan terus
Then Kemudian
Turn left Pusing kiri
Turn right Pusing kanan

I hope this lesson about the verbs in Malay was not hard for you. Please check out our main menu here for more lessons: homepage. To see the full menu, you can also click on the "Menu" icon on the left side.