In this post, you will learn how to say ‘how are you?’ in Malay. You’ll also learn common responses so you can respond if you’re asked this question. This can be really useful if you’re speaking with someone from Malaysia or if you’re travelling there.
Malaysian Malay is the official language of Malaysia, it is often also referred to as just ‘Malay’ or ‘Malaysian’ or ‘bahasa Malaysia’.
Malay and it’s variations are spoken in many different countries, not just Malaysia. Over 290 million people speak a variety of Malay in Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and Singapore. The variations of Malay are generally mutually intelligible, but there are differences in pronunciation and vocabulary.
This post focuses on Malaysian Malay.
Table of Contents
How To Say ‘How Are You?’ In Malaysian Malay
There is one main way that people say this in Malaysia.
| How are you? | Apa khabar? |
This is the main way that you will hear people ask ‘how are you?’ in Malaysia and it can be used in all situations.
How To Respond To ‘How Are You?’ In Malaysian Malay
There are many different ways that you can reply to this question. Below are the most common responses to this question. I’ve also included how to say ‘thank you’ as it’s polite to thank someone if they ask how you are.
| Thank you | Terima kasih |
| I’m fine | Kabar baik |
| Fine | Baik |
| I’m good/healthy | Saya sihat |
| Not so good | Tidak baik |
| I’m sick | Saya sakit |
| I’m tired | Saya penat |
| I’m happy | Saya gembira |
| I’m sad | Saya sedih |
| I’m great | Saya hebat |
It’s also useful to know how to say ‘and you?’ or ‘what about you?’ to find out how someone else is if they ask you.
| What about you? | Anda pula bagaimana? |
Check out the below video to hear the pronunciation of these phrases. Skip to 1:14 for ‘how are you?’:
Example Conversation:
Person 1: Apa khabar? (How are you?)
Person 2: Kabar baik, terima kasih. Anda pula bagaimana? (I’m fine, thank you. What about you?)
Person 1: Kabar baik (I’m fine)
Thanks for reading this post.
You should now know how to say ‘how are you?’ in Malaysian Malay and you should also be able to respond if you’re asked!
You can’t go wrong with these simple phrases.
Someone’s birthday coming up? Learn how to wish them a happy birthday in Malaysian Malay.
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