Malay Meaning in English

word

US

ˈmeɪɫeɪ

MAY-lay

UK

məˈleɪ

muh-LAY

Definition

"Malay" refers to the people of Malaysia and nearby areas, their main language (Malay), or anything related to their culture.

Usage & Nuances

"Malay" can be a noun (the people, the language) or an adjective (e.g., Malay culture). Use "Malay" for language, people, or cultural references, but "Malaysian" refers to nationality (anyone from Malaysia). Common confusion: "Malay" (ethnic group/language) vs. "Malaysian" (citizen of Malaysia).

• Spanish: malayo - lengua malaya - malayo (persona)
• Portuguese (BR): malaio - malaia (língua) - malaio (pessoa)
• Portuguese (PT): malaio - malaia (língua) - malaio (pessoa)
• Chinese (Simplified): 马来人 - 马来语
• Chinese (Traditional): 馬來人 - 馬來語
• Hindi: मलय - मलय भाषा - मलय (व्यक्ति)
• Arabic: ملايوي - اللغة الملايوية - شخص ملايوي
• Bengali: মালয় (মানুষ/ভাষা) - মালয় জাতি
• Russian: малайский (язык/культура) - малайцы
• Japanese: マレー語 - マレー人 - マレーの
• Vietnamese: Mã Lai (người/ngôn ngữ) - người Mã Lai
• Korean: 말레이어 - 말레이인 - 말레이의
• Turkish: Malay (dil/etnik) - Malayca - Malay halkı
• Urdu: ملائی (زبان/قوم) - ملائی لوگ
• Indonesian: Melayu (bahasa/suku)

Example Sentences

She is learning to speak Malay.

basic

The Malay people have rich traditions.

basic

He cooked a Malay meal for us.

basic

Do you know if the film has Malay subtitles?

natural

My neighbor is Malay and sometimes shares traditional snacks with us.

natural

The Malay archipelago includes thousands of islands in Southeast Asia.

natural