nasi
/ˈnasik/
In Malay, the word for rice is nasi. Wiktionary also lists beras.
Meaning: seeds used as food (noun)
Ways to say it
| Malay | IPA |
|---|---|
| nasi | /ˈnasik/ /ˈnasi/ |
| beras | /bəras/ |
Use nasi to refer to rice that has been cooked and is ready to eat. Use beras to refer to raw, uncooked rice grains.
Which one should you use?
nasi refers specifically to cooked rice, while beras refers to uncooked rice or rice grains. For the plant in its natural, growing state, the word is padi. Additionally, nasi putih is the term for white rice.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In southern Malaysia, the term lemang is used to denote glutinous rice cooked in bamboo tubes.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈnasik/
Did you know?
- In traditional Malay culture, nasi is so central to the diet that the phrase belum makan nasi (haven't eaten rice) is often used to mean 'I am hungry' even if the person has eaten other snacks.
- In many Malay contexts, the word nasi is used as a synonym for 'meal' or 'food' in general. A person asking if you have eaten nasi is often asking if you have had a full meal, regardless of whether rice was actually served.
- The term nasi is used in the name of the national dish nasi lemak, which translates to 'fatty rice' because it is cooked in coconut milk.
Examples in context
- Apabila saya masuk ke dapur, beliau sedang memasak kari ayam dan nasi.When I entered the kitchen, she was making chicken curry with rice.This sentence shows the use of nasi in the context of a meal.Tatoeba #10657726 by imperiex, translation #246906 by CM
- Saya mahu nasi putih, ayam goreng, dan sayur taugehI want white rice, fried chicken, and bean sprouts
- Ada nasi goreng tak?Do you have fried rice?
- Boleh saya cuba pulut mangga?Can I try the glutinous rice with mango?
- Bagaimana cara untuk menanam padi?How do you plant rice?
- Saya suka makan nasi lemak.I like eating nasi lemak.
- Adakah terdapat nasi dalam pinggan ini?Is there rice in this plate?
Example conversation
Aishah and Hafiz are having lunch together at a food stall.
- AishahHafiz, mahu makan nasi sekarang?Hafiz, do you want to eat rice now?
- HafizYa, saya sudah lapar.Yes, I am already hungry.
- AishahMari kita pesan nasi ayam.Let's order chicken rice.
- HafizIdea yang bagus, Aishah.That is a good idea, Aishah.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rice” translations and entries nasi, beras, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
