马来语
mǎláiyǔ
The phrase "malay" in Chinese is 马来语 (mǎláiyǔ).
马来语 is used specifically to name the Malay language.
Meaning: the Malay language (name)
What does it mean word for word?
The term 马来语 is composed of 马来 (mǎlái), which is a phonetic transliteration of "Malay" and 语 (yǔ), meaning "language".
Which one should you use?
To specify the language, you must use the suffix 语. Using only 马来 would refer to the geographic region or the people rather than the language itself. For the adjective "in, of or otherwise pertaining to the Malay language", you should use 馬來語的 / 马来语的. To refer to a Malay person, use 馬來人 / 马来人.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
mǎláiyǔ
Did you know?
- Because 马来 is a phonetic transliteration, the characters were chosen for their sound rather than their meaning, though 马 means 'horse' and 来 means 'to come'.
- In certain historical contexts, Chinese speakers might use 马来文 instead of 马来语, where 文 refers specifically to the written script rather than the spoken tongue.
- While 马来语 specifically means the Malay language, Chinese speakers often use 马来西亚语 to refer to the official national language of Malaysia, which is a standardized version of Malay.
Examples in context
- 在马来西亚，马来族占总人口的大部分。In Malaysia, Malays constitute the majority of the population.
- 我有很多马来人朋友。I have many Malay friends.
- 这本书是马来西亚人写的。This book was written by a Malaysian.
- 我会说一点马来语。Wǒ huì shuō yīdiǎn Mǎláiyǔ.I can speak a little Malay.
- 马来语很难学吗？Mǎláiyǔ hěn nán xué ma?Is Malay difficult to learn?
- 这本教材是用马来语写的。Zhè běn jiàocài shì yòng Mǎláiyǔ xiě de.This textbook is written in Malay.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about language classes.
- 俊杰 Junjie梓涵，你会说马来语吗？Zǐhán, nǐ huì shuō Mǎláiyǔ ma?Zihan, can you speak Malay?
- 梓涵 Zihan我正在学习马来语。Wǒ zhèngzài xuéxí Mǎláiyǔ.I am currently learning Malay.
- 俊杰 Junjie那太棒了，祝你好运！Nà tài bàng le, zhù nǐ hǎoyùn!That's great, good luck!
- 梓涵 Zihan谢谢你，俊杰。Xièxiè nǐ, Jùnjié.Thank you, Junjie.
