Greeting in Malaysia
Knowing how to say hello in Malaysia based on the time of day will help you break the ice with locals in a fun way while traveling in Malaysia. Although a simple "hi" or "helo" (local spelling) will work fine, practicing the greetings they use shows that you have an interest in learning a bit about the local culture.Because of the cultural diversity, most of the people in Malaysia with whom you interact will speak and understand English well. Everyone certainly knows what "hello" means. Regardless, basic greetings in Bahasa Malaysia are easy to learn.
Unlike other languages such as Thai and Vietnamese, the Malaysian language is not tonal. The rules of pronunciation are very predictable and straightforward. Making life even easier, Bahasa Malaysia implements the classical Latin alphabet so familiar to English speakers.
Malaysia |
English |
Thai |
Hello | Hello | สวัสดี |
Selamat Pagi | Good morning | สวัสดีตอนเช้า |
Selamat tengah hari | Good afternoon | สวัสดีตอนกลางวัน |
Selamat petang | Good evening | สวัสดีตอนเย็น |
Apa khabar anda? | How are you ? | เป็นอย่างไรบ้าง? |
Harap maaf! | Sorry! | ขอโทษ! |
Terima Kasih | Thank You | ขอบคุณ |
Selamat tinggal | Goodbye | ลาก่อน |
