vegetarian
[vɛ.d͡ʒi.tɛ.ri.jən]
The English word "vegetarian" can be translated into Malay as vegetarian or pemayur.
Meaning: person who does not eat any animal flesh (noun)
Ways to say it
| Malay | IPA |
|---|---|
| vegetarian | [vɛ.d͡ʒi.tɛ.ri.jən] (narrow) |
| pemayur | [pə.ma.jo(r)] (narrow) |
Both terms refer to a person who does not eat any animal flesh. These words can also function as adjectives to describe a person who does not eat meat.
Related words
Did you know?
- Many people in the region use the term vegetarian to refer specifically to Buddhist dietary restrictions, which may exclude pungent plants like garlic and onions.
- The word pemayur is a modern linguistic creation, constructed by joining pemakan meaning 'eater' and sayur meaning 'vegetable'.
- In casual conversation, Malaysians often skip both pemayur and vegetarian and simply say tak makan daging, meaning 'does not eat meat'.
Examples in context
- Tom ternampak Mary sedang memakan daging, walaupun dia memberitahunya bahawa dia seorang vegetarian.Tom saw Mary eating meat, even though she'd told him that she was a vegetarian.This sentence shows how to use vegetarian to describe someone's dietary claims.Tatoeba #10653449 by imperiex, translation #10052104 by CK
- Saya seorang ovo-vegetarian.I am an ovo-vegetarian.
- Saya makan sayur-sayuran sahaja.I only eat vegetables.
- Saya makan makanan tanpa daging.I eat food without meat.
- Saya mencari restoran yang menyediakan makanan vegetarian.I am looking for a restaurant that serves vegetarian food.
- Di restoran ini terdapat banyak pilihan makanan vegetarian.This restaurant offers many vegetarian options.
- Adik saya seorang vegetarian sejak kecil.My younger sibling has been a vegetarian since childhood.
- Adakah restoran ini menyediakan menu untuk vegetarian?Does this restaurant provide a menu for vegetarians?
Example conversation
At a restaurant, deciding what to order.
- MuhammadSiti, adakah awak seorang vegetarian?Siti, are you a vegetarian?
- SitiYa, saya tidak makan daging.Yes, I do not eat meat.
- MuhammadBaiklah, saya akan pesan makanan tanpa daging untuk awak.Alright, I will order food without meat for you.
- SitiTerima kasih, Muhammad.Thank you, Muhammad.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “vegetarian” translations and entries vegetarian, pemayur, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pemayur, vegetarian, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
