selamat berkenalan
Nice to meet you in Malay is selamat berkenalan.
selamat berkenalan is said when you are introduced to someone for the first time.
What does it mean word for word?
selamat means safe, blessed or peaceful and berkenalan means to get acquainted.
Which one should you use?
Saya gembira berkenalan dengan anda. means I am pleased to make your acquaintance. Saya gembira dapat berjumpa dengan tuan/puan. politely addresses a sir or madam. Among friends, Senang bertemu dengan awak. or Seronok jumpa kau. are relaxed choices.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a professional setting, gembira dapat berkenalan dengan anda, happy to be acquainted with you, is more formal.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the north of Malaysia, especially Penang and Kedah, people say Gembira berkenalan dengan hang.
When do people say it?
To answer, add juga, too and say selamat berkenalan juga, nice to meet you too.
Did you know?
- In a traditional Malay greeting, the phrase selamat berkenalan is often accompanied by the 'salam' gesture, where people lightly touch palms and then bring their own hand to their chest or heart.
- The word kenal inside berkenalan doesn't just mean 'to meet' but 'to recognize'. To say 'nice to meet you' is literally to say you are beginning the process of recognizing who the other person is.
- The word selamat is borrowed from the Arabic word salāma, which relates to peace and safety.
Example conversation
Hafiz and Farah are meeting for the first time at a social gathering.
- HafizHai Farah, selamat berkenalan.Hi Farah, nice to meet you.
- FarahHai Hafiz, selamat berkenalan juga.Hi Hafiz, nice to meet you too.
- HafizAdakah awak sudah lama di sini?Have you been here long?
- FarahBaru sahaja sampai.I just arrived.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries selamat, CC BY-SA 4.0.
