5,228 most common Malay words
Ranked by how often each word turns up in everyday Malay, with its meaning in English.
These are the 5,228 words that come up most often in everyday Malay (Bahasa Melayu), counted as they are actually said rather than as dictionary headwords — so where Malay changes a word's ending, each ending is counted on its own. Work down from the top: the first few hundred carry most ordinary conversation.
| # | Word | In English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | saya | First person singular pronoun; I, me |
| 2 | yang | An article that denotes a noun with the connecting… |
| 3 | aku | First person singular pronoun; I, me |
| 4 | dia | Genderless third person pronoun; he, she, it |
| 5 | awak | Second person singular pronoun; you |
| 6 | kau | you, your |
| 7 | ini | this here |
| 8 | di | Used to indicate location or direction; in, at, on |
| 9 | tak | not |
| 10 | dan | and |
| 11 | akan | For |
| 12 | tidak | not, negates verbs |
| 13 | kita | we, us |
| 14 | apa | Used as an interrogative pronoun |
| 15 | kamu | you |
| 16 | itu | that |
| 17 | untuk | for |
| 18 | ada | There are, there is |
| 19 | boleh | To be able to; can |
| 20 | mereka | Third person plural pronoun; they, them |
| 21 | dengan | with |
| 22 | anda | Second person singular pronoun; you |
| 23 | tahu | to know |
| 24 | ke | or |
| 25 | kami | Exclusive first person plural pronoun; we, us |
| 26 | ya | Used to get attention; hey, oh |
| 27 | dari | from |
| 28 | dalam | inside, in, within |
| 29 | sini | here |
| 30 | semua | all |
| 31 | tapi | alternative form of tetapi |
| 32 | pergi | To go |
| 33 | orang | I, me, my, one |
| 34 | adalah | To be |
| 35 | nak | contraction of hendak |
| 36 | ia | Genderless third person pronoun; he, she, they |
| 37 | jadi | so; therefore; thus; consequently |
| 38 | sekarang | now, today |
| 39 | lagi | again, anew |
| 40 | pada | at, on |
| 41 | jangan | don't; marks the negative imperative |
| 42 | dah | clipping of sudah |
| 43 | bukan | not |
| 44 | buat | to make; to create |
| 45 | sudah | perfective aspect marker, indicating that the process has… |
| 46 | seperti | like, similar to |
| 47 | jika | if |
| 48 | baik | good |
| 49 | perlu | For |
| 50 | mana | where |
| 51 | satu | one |
| 52 | telah | already, has, have |
| 53 | hanya | only |
| 54 | lebih | more, over, -er |
| 55 | datang | to come |
| 56 | mungkin | Maybe, perhaps, possibly |
| 57 | saja | alternative form of sahaja |
| 58 | kenapa | Why; for what reason |
| 59 | ayah | A father |
| 60 | sangat | very |
| 61 | siapa | who, whose |
| 62 | mahu | to want, to desire |
| 63 | bagaimana | how |
| 64 | hari | day: A period of time equal or almost equal to a full… |
| 65 | dapat | To be able to; can |
| 66 | juga | too, also |
| 67 | terima | To receive |
| 68 | rasa | taste, flavour |
| 69 | kasih | love, care, affection |
| 70 | masa | During the time that; when |
| 71 | kalau | if, in case |
| 72 | ni | this here |
| 73 | lakukan | to do something |
| 74 | tuan | Sir, mister |
| 75 | pernah | ever; once; used to; have |
| 76 | tu | that |
| 77 | atau | or |
| 78 | sesuatu | something |
| 79 | mari | here |
| 80 | sana | there |
| 81 | kepada | In the direction of |
| 82 | masih | still |
| 83 | mati | dead, death, deceased |
| 84 | adakah | Question pronoun used to inquire about the truth of a… |
| 85 | tiada | alternative form of tidak ada |
| 86 | kerana | because |
| 87 | baiklah | all right |
| 88 | menjadi | to become; to turn into |
| 89 | banyak | many, much, a lot |
| 90 | cakap | to talk; to speak |
| 91 | betul | Exactly |
| 92 | keluar | to go out, to exit |
| 93 | tentang | about |
| 94 | lain | other |
| 95 | begitu | very |
| 96 | dengar | to hear; to listen |
| 97 | tempat | A certain place |
| 98 | beritahu | to inform; to tell; to notify |
| 99 | selamat | may there be |
| 100 | bagus | good, nice, decent, favourable |
| 101 | macam | like, similar to |
| 102 | lihat | To look at |
| 103 | harus | have to, must, should |
| 104 | anak | A person's child |
| 105 | hidup | life |
| 106 | maaf | Pardon, forgiveness |
| 107 | diri | to stand |
| 108 | kembali | again, once more |
| 109 | ingin | wishing; desirous; eager |
| 110 | lelaki | male |
| 111 | malam | night |
| 112 | baru | just, recently, a few moments ago |
| 113 | tunggu | to wait |
| 114 | melihat | formal active of lihat |
| 115 | cepat | quick, fast, rapid, apace, prompt |
| 116 | pun | also, too |
| 117 | tolong | Used to make a polite request |
| 118 | sedang | progressive aspect marker, indicating an ongoing or… |
| 119 | rumah | home; house |
| 120 | kan | isn't it? |
| 121 | masuk | To enter |
| 122 | nampak | to see; to catch sight of; to perceive visually |
| 123 | cuma | only, merely |
| 124 | tahun | A period of time of 12 months |
| 125 | berada | to be; to be located; to be situated |
| 126 | suka | to like; to love |
| 127 | tetapi | but |
| 128 | berlaku | to happen, to occur, to take place |
| 129 | kata | Something that has been said |
| 130 | sama | Joining other people; along |
| 131 | kawan | I |
| 132 | fikir | thought |
| 133 | okey | okay |
| 134 | cuba | Cuban |
| 135 | pasti | sure, certain |
| 136 | sendiri | oneself; myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself,… |
| 137 | mempunyai | Active of punyai |
| 138 | takkan | alternative form of tidak akan |
| 139 | jumpa | to meet; to encounter |
| 140 | atas | on, upon, on top of |
| 141 | dua | two |
| 142 | tuhan | god |
| 143 | daripada | from |
| 144 | masalah | problem |
| 145 | lama | long |
| 146 | salah | false |
| 147 | faham | understanding |
| 148 | mengapa | why |
| 149 | beberapa | a few |
| 150 | besar | large; huge |
| 151 | bahawa | Conjunctive that |
| 152 | kena | to incur, to bring upon oneself, to be touched adversely |
| 153 | ibu | mother |
| 154 | mak | alternative form of emak |
| 155 | bersama | together |
| 156 | sebab | Due to; because |
| 157 | sebelum | before |
| 158 | bila | at what time? |
| 159 | memang | indeed; in fact; really |
| 160 | sekali | once |
| 161 | bercakap | To have a conversation |
| 162 | ambil | to take |
| 163 | tinggal | to live; to reside |
| 164 | perkara | case |
| 165 | membuat | to make; to create |
| 166 | bawa | to carry |
| 167 | nama | name |
| 168 | dunia | world |
| 169 | ingat | to remember |
| 170 | sayang | love |
| 171 | kali | times; multiplied by |
| 172 | berhenti | to stop, to cease, to halt, to desist |
| 173 | oleh | because |
| 174 | melakukan | to do, to perform, to take action |
| 175 | semuanya | pain |
| 176 | makan | to eat |
| 177 | bunuh | to kill |
| 178 | cara | manner, means, method, way |
| 179 | kereta | automobile, car, motorcar: A wheeled vehicle that moves… |
| 180 | itulah | that's |
| 181 | bagi | for; for the purpose of |
| 182 | jalan | path; road; street; track; way |
| 183 | setiap | every; each |
| 184 | seseorang | someone |
| 185 | sampai | until |
| 186 | sebagai | as |
| 187 | kemudian | after; afterwards |
| 188 | minta | Used to make a polite request; please |
| 189 | dulu | before, earlier, previously |
| 190 | belum | not yet |
| 191 | kerja | work; occupation |
| 192 | pertama | first of all |
| 193 | percaya | believing |
| 194 | luar | out |
| 195 | sedikit | a little, a few |
| 196 | membunuh | to kill |
| 197 | mencari | to seek, to search, to look for |
| 198 | cari | to search, to look for, to seek |
| 199 | hebat | great; profound; intense |
| 200 | polis | The police, a civil force granted the legal authority for… |
| 201 | terlalu | very |
| 202 | katakan | To say |
| 203 | ketika | when; while; as |
| 204 | apakah | Interrogative pronoun used to inquire something about a… |
| 205 | cukup | sufficiently, adequately |
| 206 | maksud | intention |
| 207 | tengok | to look at |
| 208 | lalu | then; and then; subsequently |
| 209 | sebenarnya | actually, in fact |
| 210 | tentu | certainly; surely; of course |
| 211 | tangan | hand |
| 212 | mesti | must |
| 213 | kecil | small, little |
| 214 | manusia | human; human being; person; people; man |
| 215 | nanti | going to; will |
| 216 | tanpa | without |
| 217 | berapa | how many, how much |
| 218 | bisa | Extremely painful |
| 219 | benda | object, thing, stuff, item, good |
| 220 | ikut | to follow; to accompany |
| 221 | balik | back |
| 222 | selalu | always; forever; evermore |
| 223 | mendapat | Active of dapat |
| 224 | berikan | To contain fish |
| 225 | bawah | under, below |
| 226 | benar | really; truly; very |
| 227 | terus | straight; direct |
| 228 | bodoh | Damn |
| 229 | gila | Used as an intensifier |
| 230 | budak | young person; child |
| 231 | patut | fitting, right, proper |
| 232 | hal | matter; affair; business |
| 233 | keluarga | family |
| 234 | perempuan | female |
| 235 | takut | afraid |
| 236 | wanita | A female person; woman, lady |
| 237 | selepas | after |
| 238 | bekerja | to work; to be employed |
| 239 | telefon | telephone |
| 240 | biar | So that; so |
| 241 | saat | second |
| 242 | tiga | three |
| 243 | berjaya | successful |
| 244 | paling | most |
| 245 | apabila | when; at such time as |
| 246 | punya | Used to indicate possession, similar to English 's |
| 247 | gadis | maiden, young girl |
| 248 | mata | eye |
| 249 | tidur | to sleep |
| 250 | hati | liver |
| 251 | guna | for |
| 252 | duduk | location; position |
| 253 | air | The liquid form of this substance: liquid H₂O |
| 254 | senjata | weapon |
| 255 | pintu | door |
| 256 | selama | for |
| 257 | pulang | to return, to go back, to go home |
| 258 | beliau | he, she |
| 259 | beri | To give |
| 260 | bandar | A city or town |
| 261 | semula | from the beginning |
| 262 | jam | hour |
| 263 | waktu | when; while; during |
| 264 | bilik | A room |
| 265 | berdua | both |
| 266 | hilang | to lose |
| 267 | pasukan | team |
| 268 | biasa | normal; usual; ordinary |
| 269 | gembira | passion, excitement, anger |
| 270 | membantu | to help |
| 271 | tadi | earlier, just now, a moment ago |
| 272 | ialah | To be |
| 273 | sesiapa | alternative form of siapa-siapa |
| 274 | sahaja | only |
| 275 | mengatakan | To say |
| 276 | pagi | morning |
| 277 | cinta | affection; feeling of love; strong attachment towards… |
| 278 | kalian | Encompassing all; all |
| 279 | abang | An older brother or male sibling |
| 280 | depan | front |
| 281 | terbaik | best |
| 282 | belakang | behind; following |
| 283 | cantik | beautiful, good-looking, pretty |
| 284 | lari | to run |
| 285 | sehingga | until; till; up to |
| 286 | minit | unit of time |
| 287 | kapal | A large water vessel; a ship |
| 288 | hai | Used to call out to people |
| 289 | yg | abbreviation of yang |
| 290 | kenal | to know; to be acquainted with |
| 291 | semasa | At the same time as; concurrently, simultaneously |
| 292 | secara | in a ... manner; by way of; through; -ly |
| 293 | lepaskan | let go |
| 294 | wang | money |
| 295 | jauh | far |
| 296 | duit | money |
| 297 | mula | the beginning, the start |
| 298 | kuat | strong, forceful, powerful, mighty |
| 299 | yakin | Certain, sure, convinced |
| 300 | minum | to drink |
| 301 | seluruh | the whole, the entire |
| 302 | hampir | very close or near to |
| 303 | buruk | old, rotten |
| 304 | mudah | Without much effort; easily |
| 305 | kepala | head |
| 306 | kehilangan | Loss |
| 307 | sekolah | school |
| 308 | kaki | foot, leg |
| 309 | bulan | moon |
| 310 | diam | quiet; silent |
| 311 | cik | A form of address to an unfamiliar man or woman |
| 312 | si | the |
| 313 | tembak | to shoot |
| 314 | keadaan | existence |
| 315 | walaupun | although; though |
| 316 | berkata | To say |
| 317 | tetap | continuously |
| 318 | berjalan | to walk |
| 319 | kehidupan | life |
| 320 | menarik | to pull; to haul; to drag |
| 321 | bangun | to wake up; to get up |
| 322 | a | Used to show excitement or to show agreement |
| 323 | encik | term of address conferred on an adult male of moderate or… |
| 324 | sakit | ill, painful, sick |
| 325 | puan | Mrs |
| 326 | memberi | Formal active of beri |
| 327 | buka | to open |
| 328 | selesai | finished; completed; done; over |
| 329 | sejak | since |
| 330 | kelihatan | to look; to appear; to seem |
| 331 | tentera | army |
| 332 | terbang | to fly |
| 333 | antara | In the middle of two things |
| 334 | mampu | Rich, wealthy |
| 335 | sial | Tagged at the end of a sentence to express discontent,… |
| 336 | agak | rather; quite; somewhat; fairly |
| 337 | ramai | many |
| 338 | esok | tomorrow |
| 339 | you | second-person pronoun |
| 340 | selamatkan | to help someone survive, or rescue someone |
| 341 | ku | I |
| 342 | tepat | accurate |
| 343 | tanya | to ask |
| 344 | bermain | to play |
| 345 | panggil | to invite |
| 346 | makanan | food; meal |
| 347 | lepas | after, past, ago |
| 348 | sedia | from the beginning; in the beginning |
| 349 | pula | instead; on the other hand; however |
| 350 | darah | blood |
| 351 | dekat | Almost, nearly |
| 352 | melalui | through |
| 353 | raja | A male of a royal family who is the supreme ruler of his… |
| 354 | teruskan | continue, proceed |
| 355 | negara | country; nation; sovereign state |
| 356 | bahagian | section |
| 357 | jatuh | to fall; to drop |
| 358 | api | fire |
| 359 | harap | to hope |
| 360 | naik | to climb, to ascend, to rise |
| 361 | kapten | An army or air force officer whose rank is higher than that… |
| 362 | tua | old |
| 363 | sentiasa | always |
| 364 | mengenai | about |
| 365 | pukul | to hit, to strike, to beat |
| 366 | turun | To go from a higher place to a lower place |
| 367 | supaya | so that |
| 368 | menang | to win |
| 369 | ahli | expert |
| 370 | kuasa | product of equal factors |
| 371 | belajar | to study; to learn |
| 372 | isteri | wife |
| 373 | tiba | To reach |
| 374 | minggu | week |
| 375 | khabar | news |
| 376 | arah | direction |
| 377 | memberikan | Formal active of berikan |
| 378 | mau | contraction of mahu |
| 379 | suatu | a, an, one |
| 380 | janji | promise |
| 381 | cerita | story |
| 382 | anjing | dog |
| 383 | begini | so |
| 384 | berubah | to change, to shift |
| 385 | pilihan | choice; selection |
| 386 | pasal | alternative form of fasal |
| 387 | doktor | doctor; physician |
| 388 | tinggi | high |
| 389 | lima | five |
| 390 | tanah | a general term for the surface of the Earth; i.e. ground |
| 391 | setelah | after |
| 392 | hantar | to deliver |
| 393 | peduli | to care, to concern oneself |
| 394 | ah | Particle to express astonishment, disapproval, dismay,… |
| 395 | marah | angry; mad |
| 396 | segera | soon |
| 397 | fikirkan | to think about, to contemplate |
| 398 | jelas | Aurally or visually easy to be perceived |
| 399 | perjalanan | journey; trip; travel; voyage |
| 400 | teman | I, me, my |
| 401 | buku | a lumpy joint |
| 402 | risau | to worry |
| 403 | sukar | difficult |
| 404 | idea | idea |
| 405 | kurang | less; to a lesser degree |
| 406 | suruh | to order someone to do something |
| 407 | berita | news |
| 408 | penjara | jail |
| 409 | demi | for the sake of; for |
| 410 | perang | war |
| 411 | serius | Without humor or expression of happiness; grave in manner… |
| 412 | kes | lawsuit, legal proceeding |
| 413 | kematian | death; demise |
| 414 | sepanjang | along, throughout, as long as; during |
| 415 | bapa | A male parent |
| 416 | sungguh | really, very |
| 417 | tangkap | to capture, to catch |
| 418 | lupa | to forget |
| 419 | nombor | number |
| 420 | tengah | progressive aspect marker, indicating an ongoing or… |
| 421 | jaga | to awake |
| 422 | pelik | strange |
| 423 | kedua | second |
| 424 | permainan | game |
| 425 | penuh | full |
| 426 | la | At the present time or moment; now |
| 427 | ketua | A chief, leader or head man |
| 428 | batu | stone; a hard earthen substance that form rocks |
| 429 | sebentar | for a moment; for a while; briefly |
| 430 | semakin | increasingly; more and more; getting; becoming |
| 431 | maka | so; therefore |
| 432 | meminta | Active of pinta |
| 433 | sekejap | soon |
| 434 | berani | brave |
| 435 | rahsia | secret; confidential |
| 436 | lah | Final particle indicating an imperative, reassurance or… |
| 437 | berdiri | to stand |
| 438 | nah | here! |
| 439 | gambar | picture; drawing |
| 440 | jahat | bad, evil |
| 441 | soalan | question |
| 442 | adik | sibling person who shares same parents |
| 443 | kat | At, in, or on; used to indicate a location, position, or… |
| 444 | sebelah | side; direction |
| 445 | milik | property |
| 446 | muda | young |
| 447 | tenang | calm, composed, still, collected, imperturbable |
| 448 | jenis | type |
| 449 | berbeza | to have difference; to be different |
| 450 | para | shelf |
| 451 | pihak | side |
| 452 | bumi | earth |
| 453 | keselamatan | safety |
| 454 | tugas | duty |
| 455 | empat | four |
| 456 | menuju | to head towards; to go in the direction of |
| 457 | pakai | to wear |
| 458 | kawasan | an area |
| 459 | senang | easy |
| 460 | maklumat | information |
| 461 | suara | voice, utterance |
| 462 | sedar | aware, conscious; awake |
| 463 | kunci | key |
| 464 | tutup | to close |
| 465 | presiden | The head of state of a republic that is usually also the… |
| 466 | barang | marker used to denote indefiniteness |
| 467 | saudara | you m |
| 468 | dilakukan | to do something |
| 469 | rakan | friend |
| 470 | terhadap | towards; to |
| 471 | siap | even; going as far as; including |
| 472 | pembunuh | killer, murderer |
| 473 | periksa | to inspect, to scrutinize; to examine critically or… |
| 474 | muka | face |
| 475 | bahasa | language |
| 476 | keputusan | result |
| 477 | langsung | directly; immediately |
| 478 | syarikat | A company |
| 479 | celaka | Wretched, unlucky |
| 480 | bos | a person in charge of a business or company |
| 481 | menerima | to receive, to accept |
| 482 | kekuatan | strength |
| 483 | letakkan | basic form of meletakkan |
| 484 | bimbang | worried |
| 485 | panas | hot because of direct heating of the sun |
| 486 | situ | there |
| 487 | bertanya | to ask; to inquire |
| 488 | serangan | an attempt to cause damage, injury to, or death of opponent… |
| 489 | perasaan | feeling, sensation |
| 490 | tahan | to endure, to bear, to withstand, to resist |
| 491 | hitam | black |
| 492 | kira | to count |
| 493 | pejabat | office |
| 494 | pegang | to hold, to grasp |
| 495 | hantu | A general term for ghosts, spirits or mystical being |
| 496 | mulai | starting |
| 497 | awal | beginning, commencement, first |
| 498 | peluru | bullet, projectile, ammunition |
| 499 | bayi | baby, infant |
| 500 | kini | now, today |
| 501 | hubungan | relationship, connection, link |
| 502 | pakaian | clothes; clothing |
| 503 | kecuali | except |
| 504 | bilang | to say |
| 505 | juta | million |
| 506 | berharap | to hope |
| 507 | indah | beautiful, lovely, attractive, fine, precious |
| 508 | musuh | enemy, foe |
| 509 | kerajaan | government |
| 510 | meninggal | to die; to pass away |
| 511 | melawan | Formal active of lawan |
| 512 | keras | hard, stiff |
| 513 | nyawa | life |
| 514 | it | initialism of teknologi maklumat |
| 515 | perhatian | attention |
| 516 | beg | A bag |
| 517 | sistem | system |
| 518 | surat | document |
| 519 | semoga | may there; hopefully |
| 520 | setuju | to agree |
| 521 | bom | bomb |
| 522 | berat | weight |
| 523 | mimpi | dream |
| 524 | bijak | wise, clever |
| 525 | sikit | a little, a few |
| 526 | udara | aerial |
| 527 | amat | very |
| 528 | pekerjaan | job; occupation; employment |
| 529 | kanan | right |
| 530 | guru | educator, teacher, instructor |
| 531 | yah | father |
| 532 | bahaya | danger |
| 533 | pegawai | officer; official |
| 534 | kiri | left |
| 535 | hadiah | A gift or present |
| 536 | ruang | An area of the house that is usually without that much… |
| 537 | pistol | a pistol |
| 538 | misi | mission |
| 539 | tarik | to pull so it comes towards one |
| 540 | jom | let's go, come on |
| 541 | bayar | to pay |
| 542 | nya | The 36th letter of the Jawi script which represents the… |
| 543 | utama | best |
| 544 | baju | top: A garment worn to cover the torso |
| 545 | makhluk | creature; being |
| 546 | hadapan | next |
| 547 | gagal | to fail |
| 548 | kelas | a group, collection, category or set sharing… |
| 549 | meletakkan | transitive formal active of letak |
| 550 | sementara | while; whilst |
| 551 | laut | sea |
| 552 | kumpulan | group |
| 553 | burung | bird |
| 554 | mesin | machine |
| 555 | emas | gold |
| 556 | menangis | To cry |
| 557 | mencuri | formal active of curi |
| 558 | kalah | defeated, lost |
| 559 | badan | body |
| 560 | memanggil | active of panggil |
| 561 | mu | alternative spelling of -mu |
| 562 | angkat | to lift, to raise |
| 563 | neraka | hell |
| 564 | bangunan | building |
| 565 | bunyi | sound |
| 566 | merah | red |
| 567 | putih | Being white in colour |
| 568 | segala | everything |
| 569 | kakak | older sister |
| 570 | sempurna | perfect; complete; full |
| 571 | sejuk | cold |
| 572 | beli | to buy |
| 573 | parti | A social gathering |
| 574 | bersalah | to make a mistake |
| 575 | benci | hatred |
| 576 | alasan | reason |
| 577 | lagu | song |
| 578 | ikan | fish |
| 579 | semalam | for one night |
| 580 | bank | An institution that offers various financial services |
| 581 | nenek | grandmother |
| 582 | bola | ball |
| 583 | dahulu | before, earlier, previously |
| 584 | kota | A fort |
| 585 | main | unpromptedly |
| 586 | kebenaran | permission |
| 587 | alamak | An exclamation or expression of alarm about a problem or… |
| 588 | jawab | an answer or reply |
| 589 | alat | tool |
| 590 | filem | film |
| 591 | dadah | recreational drugs |
| 592 | simpan | to hide |
| 593 | bebas | free |
| 594 | enam | six |
| 595 | menakutkan | scary; horrible |
| 596 | sasaran | target |
| 597 | menyerang | to attack; to assault; to strike |
| 598 | kosong | The number zero or 0 |
| 599 | kedai | shop |
| 600 | hospital | hospital |
| 601 | mengetahui | to discover, to find out |
| 602 | hak | right, truly |
| 603 | tanda | sign, mark, signal, spot, symbol |
| 604 | pilih | to choose |
| 605 | hutan | forest |
| 606 | letak | to place; to put; to insert |
| 607 | rambut | hair |
| 608 | kamera | camera |
| 609 | sentuh | to touch |
| 610 | terlepas | to be released; to be set free |
| 611 | ujian | test; examination |
| 612 | habis | completely; utterly; entirely |
| 613 | mayat | corpse |
| 614 | panjang | long |
| 615 | menari | To dance |
| 616 | akal | mind; intellect; reason; logic |
| 617 | kawalan | guard, protection |
| 618 | akhir | end; conclusion |
| 619 | peraturan | the rules |
| 620 | datuk | A father of someone's parent; a grandfather |
| 621 | dewa | god |
| 622 | bunga | flower |
| 623 | langkah | to step |
| 624 | kad | A card |
| 625 | merupakan | to represent, take the form of, to be |
| 626 | pulau | island |
| 627 | selain | in addition to, besides |
| 628 | mulut | mouth |
| 629 | terlambat | too late; already late; delayed |
| 630 | lawan | A partner, counterpart |
| 631 | kejadian | incident, occurrence |
| 632 | pengawal | guard, protector |
| 633 | pusat | navel |
| 634 | malah | in fact; even; moreover; on the contrary |
| 635 | cahaya | light |
| 636 | sibuk | busy |
| 637 | utara | north |
| 638 | suami | husband |
| 639 | tersebut | that, the aforementioned, said |
| 640 | berguna | useful |
| 641 | buang | to discard, reject, or throw away |
| 642 | hingga | until; till; up to; as far as |
| 643 | berbahaya | dangerous; hazardous |
| 644 | asing | foreign |
| 645 | memandu | To guide: To serve as a guide for someone or something; to… |
| 646 | susah | difficult |
| 647 | bicara | to talk, to speak |
| 648 | raksasa | enormous, gargantuan, gigantic, humongous, supertall |
| 649 | menemui | to discover |
| 650 | angin | wind |
| 651 | tepi | edge; side; margin; border |
| 652 | kuda | A horse |
| 653 | tindakan | action |
| 654 | nasib | fate, destiny, luck |
| 655 | aneh | strange |
| 656 | anggota | body part |
| 657 | mustahil | impossible |
| 658 | kesalahan | error |
| 659 | agar | so that |
| 660 | pandang | to look; to gaze; to view |
| 661 | tenaga | energy; power; strength |
| 662 | tali | rope |
| 663 | dolar | The currency of the United States, Australia and other… |
| 664 | kesan | impression, indentation or mark left by something |
| 665 | pakcik | alternative spelling of pak cik |
| 666 | mengganggu | to disturb |
| 667 | istimewa | special |
| 668 | mengerti | formal active of erti |
| 669 | tingkat | floor, storey |
| 670 | laluan | route |
| 671 | perjanjian | agreement |
| 672 | mabuk | drunk; intoxicated; inebriated |
| 673 | lemah | weak |
| 674 | menonton | to watch |
| 675 | musim | season |
| 676 | helo | Used to greet people; hello |
| 677 | lewat | to pass by; to pass over |
| 678 | pandai | clever, intelligent |
| 679 | sejarah | history |
| 680 | ajar | to teach |
| 681 | dibuat | made |
| 682 | halo | Used to greet people; hello |
| 683 | memikirkan | to think about; to ponder over |
| 684 | menipu | to deceive |
| 685 | lampu | lamp |
| 686 | daging | Any sort of flesh |
| 687 | membaca | to read |
| 688 | bayangkan | to imagine |
| 689 | kotak | box |
| 690 | perkataan | A word |
| 691 | tuanku | you |
| 692 | ubat | medicine |
| 693 | peribadi | personal, private |
| 694 | baca | to read |
| 695 | bintang | starred; spotted |
| 696 | kulit | leather |
| 697 | kopi | coffee |
| 698 | benarkan | to allow; to permit; to authorise |
| 699 | hotel | hotel |
| 700 | pikir | alternative form of fikir |
| 701 | gelap | dark |
| 702 | perkahwinan | marriage; wedding |
| 703 | je | alternative form of sahaja |
| 704 | kemalangan | accident |
| 705 | tujuan | goal, objective, aim, purpose |
| 706 | berbuat | to do; to act; to perform an action |
| 707 | jenayah | crime |
| 708 | lapar | hungry |
| 709 | kampung | village |
| 710 | muzik | A composition of sounds that produces a form and melody… |
| 711 | berjuang | to struggle; to fight; to strive |
| 712 | otak | brain |
| 713 | sedap | delicious, tasty |
| 714 | sepertinya | likely |
| 715 | bahagia | happy and content |
| 716 | separuh | half |
| 717 | buah | fruit |
| 718 | seekor | tail |
| 719 | sanggup | to be willing; to be ready; to be prepared |
| 720 | video | recording of moving visual images |
| 721 | terkejut | Shocked, surprised |
| 722 | layak | suitable, deserving |
| 723 | wajah | face |
| 724 | pokok | tree |
| 725 | lubang | hole, hollow, orifice, perforation |
| 726 | komputer | computer |
| 727 | operasi | a surgical procedure |
| 728 | dipanggil | to invite |
| 729 | kaya | Having a lot of wealth or money |
| 730 | kesilapan | error |
| 731 | rendah | low |
| 732 | meja | table |
| 733 | askar | soldier |
| 734 | alam | nature; the natural environment |
| 735 | lokasi | location |
| 736 | rakyat | A citizen |
| 737 | jawapan | An answer |
| 738 | perintah | command, direction, order |
| 739 | dinding | inner wall of a house |
| 740 | menyebabkan | active of sebabkan |
| 741 | jelaskan | To explain |
| 742 | detektif | detective |
| 743 | pahlawan | hero, patriot, a strong and brave warrior |
| 744 | selatan | south |
| 745 | mengalami | to experience; to undergo; to sustain; to suffer |
| 746 | namun | however |
| 747 | bau | A smell; odour; stench; stink |
| 748 | berehat | To rest |
| 749 | setengah | a half |
| 750 | tubuh | body |
| 751 | kasut | shoe |
| 752 | kekal | permanent, eternal, everlasting |
| 753 | sampah | discarded items that are of no use |
| 754 | isyarat | sign, gesture, signal |
| 755 | mulia | noble |
| 756 | pendapat | opinion; view; idea; sentiment |
| 757 | jujur | honest, truthful |
| 758 | minuman | drink, beverage |
| 759 | gunung | mountain |
| 760 | dendam | grudge, resentment, vengeance |
| 761 | tipu | deceit |
| 762 | jari | finger |
| 763 | bekas | Trace, mark, stain |
| 764 | silap | false |
| 765 | soal | to ask, to question, to interrogate |
| 766 | mengajar | to teach |
| 767 | memahami | active of fahami |
| 768 | balas | to reply; to respond; to answer |
| 769 | sebarang | any |
| 770 | rosak | out of order, damaged |
| 771 | situasi | situation |
| 772 | pantas | quick; fast |
| 773 | unit | unit |
| 774 | saling | each other, one another |
| 775 | biru | blue |
| 776 | anggap | to assume, to consider |
| 777 | masukkan | to place |
| 778 | jantung | heart |
| 779 | mandi | To shower |
| 780 | kekasih | lover; beloved person |
| 781 | terkenal | famous |
| 782 | jiwa | soul |
| 783 | majlis | meeting; assembly; council |
| 784 | papa | father |
| 785 | tujuh | seven |
| 786 | ayam | chicken, a domesticated subspecies of red junglefowl |
| 787 | kemungkinan | The state of being possible |
| 788 | tau | syncopic form of tahu |
| 789 | sungai | river |
| 790 | lucu | funny; hilarious |
| 791 | senarai | list |
| 792 | sarjan | sergeant |
| 793 | seronok | pleasant; enjoyable; fun |
| 794 | lahir | to be born, to give birth, to bear |
| 795 | hendak | to, for |
| 796 | pantai | beach, coast |
| 797 | binatang | animal |
| 798 | pelajar | student |
| 799 | malu | shy |
| 800 | manis | sweet |
| 801 | tahniah | to congratulate |
| 802 | pencuri | thief |
| 803 | alih | to shift, to turn, to move |
| 804 | umur | age |
| 805 | haiwan | animal |
| 806 | harga | price; cost |
| 807 | ketawa | to laugh; to chuckle |
| 808 | palsu | false |
| 809 | sihat | Not inflicted with any diseases |
| 810 | amaran | warning |
| 811 | trak | truck |
| 812 | besi | iron |
| 813 | menurut | to go along |
| 814 | kucing | cat |
| 815 | menjual | to sell, to market |
| 816 | pesanan | message |
| 817 | berbincang | To talk |
| 818 | makcik | alternative spelling of mak cik |
| 819 | kejam | to close |
| 820 | nafas | breath, respiration |
| 821 | langit | sky |
| 822 | sebaik | as soon as; immediately after |
| 823 | jepun | Japanese |
| 824 | lekas | Quickly or fast |
| 825 | tetamu | guest; visitor |
| 826 | semangat | soul of a being |
| 827 | ditangkap | passive of menangkap |
| 828 | sebut | to mention; to say |
| 829 | teh | The tea plant; Camelia sinensis |
| 830 | engkau | you, your |
| 831 | ulang | to repeat |
| 832 | adil | fair, just, right |
| 833 | bakar | to burn |
| 834 | pemain | player |
| 835 | demikian | such, like that, so |
| 836 | walau | even if |
| 837 | sepuluh | ten |
| 838 | letupan | explosive |
| 839 | korang | you, y'all |
| 840 | serang | to attack; to assault |
| 841 | pekerja | worker; employee |
| 842 | sedih | sad; unhappy; sorrowful |
| 843 | bertuah | having luck |
| 844 | pakar | expert, specialist |
| 845 | tukang | craftsman; handyman; workman; seller |
| 846 | sisi | side |
| 847 | jahanam | hellish |
| 848 | timur | east |
| 849 | menteri | A minister |
| 850 | kecemasan | emergency |
| 851 | lambat | slow |
| 852 | mesej | message |
| 853 | minyak | Liquid fat |
| 854 | gigi | tooth: hard, calcareous structure present in the mouth of… |
| 855 | radio | radio |
| 856 | pisau | knife |
| 857 | mangsa | prey |
| 858 | menyesal | to regret |
| 859 | petang | afternoon |
| 860 | potong | to cut; to sever into parts |
| 861 | peguam | A lawyer |
| 862 | bernafas | to breathe |
| 863 | aman | peaceful |
| 864 | puteri | princess |
| 865 | biasanya | normally, usually, generally |
| 866 | luka | wound |
| 867 | penduduk | resident, inhabitant |
| 868 | termasuk | including |
| 869 | warna | colour |
| 870 | naga | dragon |
| 871 | sumber | source |
| 872 | seluar | trousers, pants |
| 873 | tikus | mouse, rat |
| 874 | penjahat | villain |
| 875 | curi | stealth, sneakily, privately |
| 876 | barat | The west |
| 877 | gerak | movement; motion; action |
| 878 | hujan | rain |
| 879 | kedudukan | residency |
| 880 | kejutan | shocker, surprise |
| 881 | mohon | to request; to apply for |
| 882 | ribu | thousand |
| 883 | khas | special |
| 884 | negeri | country, any sovereign polity; a national or city-state… |
| 885 | patah | To split or snap |
| 886 | hujung | endmost |
| 887 | selagi | as long as; while |
| 888 | jeneral | general |
| 889 | o | with sugar and no milk added |
| 890 | besok | alternative form of esok |
| 891 | tukar | to change |
| 892 | lapangan | field |
| 893 | entah | I don't know; dunno; who knows |
| 894 | kotor | dirty |
| 895 | topi | hat |
| 896 | tulis | to write |
| 897 | bersih | clean, clear, hygienic, pure |
| 898 | mencapai | to achieve something |
| 899 | awam | public |
| 900 | malaikat | angel |
| 901 | sebanyak | as much as; as many as |
| 902 | stesen | Place for passenger vehicles to stop |
| 903 | kerusi | chair, seat |
| 904 | bergantung | to hang |
| 905 | hijau | green |
| 906 | bas | bus |
| 907 | sabar | patient |
| 908 | turunkan | to lower |
| 909 | peti | box, chest, case |
| 910 | perlahan | At a slow pace; slowly |
| 911 | hasil | yield; product |
| 912 | zaman | age |
| 913 | tulang | bone |
| 914 | ejen | agent |
| 915 | program | a set of structured activities; a plan of action |
| 916 | gereja | church |
| 917 | kelakar | banter |
| 918 | menutup | to close |
| 919 | pandangan | view; sight; scenery |
| 920 | perangkap | trap |
| 921 | tingkap | window |
| 922 | persembahan | A gift or tribute |
| 923 | perlawanan | match |
| 924 | menahan | active of tahan |
| 925 | suci | pure, clean |
| 926 | laju | fast |
| 927 | jual | to sell |
| 928 | punggung | buttocks; bottom; rear; backside |
| 929 | jarak | distance |
| 930 | jauhkan | to distance; to move away; to remove; to keep away |
| 931 | hormat | respectful |
| 932 | menolong | to help |
| 933 | perancis | French |
| 934 | seni | art |
| 935 | kertas | A sheet material used for writing on or printing on,… |
| 936 | jumlah | sum; total |
| 937 | acara | agenda |
| 938 | penjenayah | criminal |
| 939 | lapan | eight |
| 940 | kenyataan | Able to be seen or heard |
| 941 | pelanggan | customer |
| 942 | halang | to hinder, to impede, to block, to obstruct |
| 943 | bentuk | shape; form |
| 944 | mahkamah | court; tribunal |
| 945 | daerah | Area under control of a certain country; a territory |
| 946 | gaya | style; fashion |
| 947 | nyata | able to be seen or heard |
| 948 | keberanian | courage, bravery |
| 949 | kelab | club |
| 950 | pemimpin | leader |
| 951 | ais | ice |
| 952 | profesor | professor |
| 953 | penyakit | illness |
| 954 | pertahanan | defence |
| 955 | rapat | tightly; closely |
| 956 | monyet | monkey |
| 957 | kebaikan | an act of goodness or kindness |
| 958 | telur | edible egg, of a bird, especially chicken, considered as… |
| 959 | patung | statue |
| 960 | menjawab | To give an answer to a question; to answer |
| 961 | memalukan | to embarrass, to cause embarrassment |
| 962 | berbual | to converse, to chat |
| 963 | angkasa | space, sky |
| 964 | pertempuran | battle |
| 965 | ganggu | to disturb |
| 966 | menelefon | to call |
| 967 | terfikir | to suddenly think of; to come to mind |
| 968 | peta | map |
| 969 | cincin | A round piece of metal worn around the finger or through… |
| 970 | penjaga | guard; guardian |
| 971 | jabatan | office, service |
| 972 | fail | file |
| 973 | saksi | witness |
| 974 | diterima | to receive, to accept |
| 975 | istana | palace, castle |
| 976 | syurga | heaven, paradise |
| 977 | pemandu | driver |
| 978 | kenderaan | vehicle |
| 979 | sudut | corner |
| 980 | usaha | effort |
| 981 | comel | cute |
| 982 | virus | virus |
| 983 | taman | park, garden |
| 984 | menyentuh | To make physical contact with; to bring the hand, finger or… |
| 985 | dikatakan | To say |
| 986 | lantai | floor |
| 987 | tekan | to press |
| 988 | menara | tower |
| 989 | kejahatan | evil |
| 990 | ubah | to change |
| 991 | tangga | stair, ladder |
| 992 | sebaliknya | on the contrary |
| 993 | pertanyaan | question |
| 994 | leher | neck |
| 995 | pusing | to turn, to spin |
| 996 | ratu | A queen regnant |
| 997 | risiko | risk |
| 998 | juara | Champion, winner |
| 999 | asal | as long as, only if, provided that, providing |
| 1,000 | pesta | party |
Take the list with you
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Download all 5,228 Malay words
Frequencies come from the OpenSubtitles corpus via hermitdave/FrequencyWords; English meanings from Wiktextract. Both are CC BY-SA 4.0, and so is this list.
Words stick once you use them
A list gets you the first few hundred. Saying them to someone who speaks Malay is what makes them stay.