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Learn Malay Slangs Like “Berkicap” And How To Use Them

Learn Malay Slangs Like “Berkicap” And How To Use Them

A lot of them are common words but used in different contexts.

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Unless you’ve been living under a rock and speaking to a mirror in formal Bahasa Melayu your whole life, you should have come across Malaysians using unusual terms or sentences in their conversations.

There are so many slangs that have evolved over time in Malaysia and sometimes it’s kind of hard to keep up as new ones develop.

The best way is to ask friends who use these terms or you can go through this list to help you understand and how to use them.

1. Gerak Lu, Pape Roger

This is basically a way to say “I’m going to leave now, but call me if you need anything”.

Generally, this is said when you’re about to leave a ‘lepak’ session with friends or any other informal gathering.

Do not say this when you’re about to leave a business meeting or any formal event unless you’re very close to the person you’re saying it to as it may come off as rude.

2. Pisang/Pishang

When translated directly, pisang means ‘banana’ in Bahasa Melayu but when used in a specific context, it just means you’re bored.

When used in a sentence it would sound like “Aku pishang tunggu kau sejam” which translates to “I was bored waiting for you for an hour”

3. Tersidai/Tersadai

Sidai is a Malay word for hanging something, such as laundry. However, it’s also commonly used to refer to being made to wait or “left hanging”.

For example, “Maaf aku lambat, tadi hujan lebat aku tersidai kat rumah sampai hujan berhenti”, which means “I’m sorry I’m late, it was raining so heavily just now I was forced to wait for it to stop”.

The variation ‘tersadai’ is used to describe something that has been left unattended such as a broken car that has been unused for a long time.

“Kereta aku tersadai kat rumah dua bulan sebab gearbox tak betulkan lagi”. This translates to “My car has been sitting at home for two months because the gearbox hasn’t been repaired yet”.

4. Mantap/Mantol

Mantap actually means solid, firm, or strong to describe something that is very stable. However, the term is now also used to describe something as ‘awesome’.

“Masakan awak mantap!” basically means “Your cooking is awesome!”.

Another way of saying it is ‘mantol’ which is a combination of ‘mantap’ and ‘betul’ which is kind of an enhancement of the term.

5. Berkicap

Kicap typically refers to a black soy condiment Malaysians use in their cooking, but the saying ‘berkicap’ means to be sweaty or drenched in sweat.

“Hari ni panas sampai berkicap badan aku”, translates to “It’s so hot today my body’s soaked in sweat”.

6. Membawang

Membawang is derived from the word ‘bawang’ which means onion in the Malay language. It means to gossip and is usually used in a negative connotation.

For example, “Jangan dekat dengan mak cik bawang tu, dia suka membawang”. In English it goes “Don’t get close to that gossip lady, she loves to gossip”.

The association with an onion is most probably due to an onion having many layers and a person who loves to gossip would have many different “faces” they put on when talking to different people.

7. Payung

Payung literally means ‘umbrella’ in Malay but the term is used when someone treats another person to food or gives anything for free out of their own generosity.

“Jangan risau, aku payung makan malam ni” means “Don’t worry, dinner is on me tonight”.

The association to an umbrella is tied to its function to “cover” you.

8. Palau

Palau is derived from ‘pulau’ which is the Malay word for island and it’s used to describe being ignored.

The term refers to being isolated, like you’re on a desert island.

“Semalam kita bergaduh, hari ni aku kena palau”. The English translation would be “We fought last night, and today I’m being ignored”.

9. Sado

This term is actually a combination of two words: besar and bodoh, which is used to exaggeratively describe someone who is very big and muscular.

“Awak selalu pergi gym ke sekarang? Dah sado!” translates to “Do you always go to the gym now? You’re so buff now!”.

10. Skema

Skema is quite similar to the word ‘nerd’ but not the stereotypical type of nerd with pocket protectors and glasses. It refers more to someone who follows rules or is a ‘straight edge’.

“Awak baca semua terma dan syarat dalam buku panduan? Kenapa skema sangat?”.

This means “You actually read all the terms and conditions in the manual? Why are you such a straight edge?”.

It could also be used in a fashion context like a person who wears a formal suit to a casual birthday party.

These are just a few slangs commonly used in Peninsular Malaysia out of hundreds of new ones that keep coming up in Malaysian conversations. There are even more in East Malaysia that incorporates Bornean languages.

Even Sabahans and Sarawakians have trouble understanding each other’s slangs sometimes.


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