semalam (Peninsular West Coast incl. KL)
The English phrase 'yesterday' is translated into Malay as semalam (Peninsular West Coast incl. KL). If unsure, use semalam (Peninsular West Coast incl. KL). It is also spelled kemarin. Wiktionary also lists kelmarin.
Meaning: day before today (noun)
Ways to say it
| Malay | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| semalam (Peninsular West Coast incl. KL) | ||
| kelmarin | /kəlˈmarin/ /kəlˈmaren/ |
|
| kemarin | Brunei, Sabah, alternative form |
The word is used as a noun to refer to the day before today or as an adverb to mean 'on the day before today'. In many colloquial contexts in Peninsular Malaysia, semalam (Peninsular West Coast incl. KL) can also mean 'last night'.
Which one should you use?
In Peninsular Malaysia, semalam (Peninsular West Coast incl. KL) is the standard word. While kelmarin is also used for yesterday in Peninsular Malaysia, it can sometimes imply a few days ago depending on the dialectal context.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Brunei and Sabah, the spelling kemarin is used to mean yesterday. KL) is the standard form.
Related words
Did you know?
- The word kelmarin is a blend of the words for 'dark' and 'day', originally evoking the idea of the 'darkness of the day'.
- While semalam is standard, the word kelmarin is a linguistic fossil that can refer to a day several days ago depending on the local dialect.
Examples in context
- Bila awak sibuk kelmarin?When were you busy yesterday?This sentence is useful for asking when someone was busy using kelmarin.Tatoeba #11016038 by LeeSooHa, translation #69393 by CM
- Dia pergi ke Tokyo kelmarin.He went to Tokyo yesterday.This sentence is useful for stating someone went to Tokyo using kelmarin.Tatoeba #10681086 by LeeSooHa, translation #296912 by CK
- Dia pergi ke hospital kelmarin.He went to the hospital yesterday.This sentence is useful for stating someone went to the hospital using kelmarin.Tatoeba #10681091 by LeeSooHa, translation #535151 by blay_paul
- Saya bertemu dengan adik semalam.I met my sibling yesterday.
- Beliau telah menghadiri majlis itu semalam.He/she attended the event yesterday.
- Kami telah menonton filem baru semalam.We watched a new movie yesterday.
- Aku pergi ke pasar kelmarin.I went to the market yesterday.
- Kitorang dah tengok cerita tu kelmarin.We watched that movie yesterday.
- Kau ada tengok berita kelmarin tak?Did you watch the news yesterday?
- 19 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “yesterday” translations and entries kelmarin, kemarin, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries kelmarin, semalam, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
