Before Ecomobi entered the Malaysian market, we know that they had already expanded into Indonesia.
As of today, many Vietnamese staff members are fluent in Indonesian. But did you know, despite sounding similar, there are slight differences in Malaysia? Especially in terms of addressing, titles, and language usage between the young and the elderly.
During my time in SSD for the MY market, I found this pronoun somewhat confusing for Vietnamese staff that are fluent in Indonesian, leading to misunderstandings in its usage.
As locals i can say that’s easy to win the hearts of Malaysians and make them feel comfortable with you. We are deeply touched when people from other countries use our language, even in simple phrases like “Terima Kasih (Thank You).”
So today, let’s start with personal pronouns between ID and MY and the difference.
When addressing older or esteemed individuals in Indonesia, they use “Pak/Ibu” but in In Malaysia, we use:
Formal:
Male – ordinary people : Tuan, Encik
Male – VIP / VVIP with salutation : Dato, Dato Sri, Tan Sri, Professor, Dr, Tun, Ir.
Female – ordinary people: Puan, Cik
Female – VIP / VVIP with salutation: Datin, Datin Sri, Puan Sri, Professor, Dr, Tun, Ir.
Informal / Casual / Daily convo use :
Male :
Abang / bang / Bro (Universal) : Older than you
Adik / Dik : Younger than you
Pakcik / Uncle : Older or same age with your parents
Female:
Kakak / kang / Sis (Universal) : Older than you
Adik / Dik : Younger than you
Makcik / Aunty: Older or same age with your parents
Now, let’s dive into some Indonesian words that sound similar but have different meanings in Malaysian.
1. Car
- Indonesia: Mobil
- Malaysia: Kereta (In Indonesia “kereta” means train)
2. Yesterday
- Indonesia: Kemarin
- Malaysia: Semalam (In Malaysia, “kemarin” means the day before yesterday)
3. Tail
- Indonesia: Buntut
- Malaysia: Ekor (In Malaysia, “buntut” means “butt”)
4. Need/Want
- Indonesia: Butuh
- Malaysia: Mahu/Nak (In Malaysia, “butuh” means penis or vulgar)
5. Easy/Easy Peasy
- Indonesia: Gampang
- Malaysia: Senang (In Malaysia, “gampang” is a curse word meaning “son of a b*tch”)
6. Can/Could
- Indonesia: Bisa
- Malaysia: Boleh (In Malaysia, “bisa” means venom or poison)
7. Headache
- Indonesia: Pusing
- Malaysia: Pening/Sakit Kepala (In Malaysia, “pusing” means turn)
8. Pass By
- Indonesia: Lewat
- Malaysia: Lalu (In Malaysia, “lewat” means late)
9. Pointless/Waste of Time
- Indonesia: Percuma
- Malaysia: Sia-sia (In Malaysia, “percuma” means free of charge)
10. Massage
- Indonesia: Pijat
- Malaysia: Urut (In Malaysia, “pijat” refers to a type of insect, cicada)
These words, They have the same meaning in English but different meanings in Indonesian and Malaysian languages. Hopefully, this information helps non-Indonesian and Malaysian speakers differentiate basic words correctly.
I really hope, this sharing provides a clearer understanding of suitable words and pronouns when speaking with Malaysians or directly engaging with MY creators. You can also use this as a guide if you plan to travel to Malaysia in the future.
See you next time and Terima Kasih 🙂
