Customer Reviews

Malay: Lonely Planet Phrasebook

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm from Penang and I got this book for my American husband for our second trip back to Malaysia. The first thing that made me suspicious of its credibility was the cover photo. What is described as the "durian at the market" looks much more like a pile of nangka (jackfruit). Content-wise, I found some odd phrases in the book. "Plain water" is translated as "air putih" instead of "air kosong", "corner" becomes "pojok", which I have never heard of. "Sudut" would have made more sense to me. "Punggung" translates into "back" (anatomically), which I believe is correct in Indonesian, but would have made many Malaysians I know snicker at the reference to one's rear end. Perhaps these words are more common in parts of Malaysia I am not familiar with such as the east coast or Sabah & Sarawak. If this is the case, it would have been nice to have more than one translation for a word, although probably not practical for a quick reference guide.

In any case, Malaysians are easily impressed with foreigners who speak Malay, so while I may find fault with it, there is much in this little book which visitors would find useful. I particularly like the little tips on Malaysian culture, grammar and food. For those who plan to stay awhile, try the book-and-tapes combo of Survival Malay, and for cultural insight, Heidi Munan's Culture Shock! is a delight even for homesick Malaysians.

This book is extremely useful especially if you are outside the main cities such as Malacca or Kuala Lumpur. Malay people are very self effacing and your use of the phrases in this book will really open doors. Also, the social interaction hints to proper behavior are very good and useful too.

I got this phrasebook as a gift. I was skeptical at first because of its child-like appearance, but once I started looking through it I found it to be amazing. No other Malay book has the detail that this one does. With short paragraphs at the beginnings of each section, it ensures the best understanding of the culture. The authors are very knowledgeable and knows their Malay. I would recommend this reference book to anyone who is even considering a trip to Malaysia or is interested in the culture.

This little guide gives you the basics of words and phrases - but I dont think it would give you the ability to hold more than a very simple "Where is ..." , "Hello, my name is ... " sort of conversation with anyone.

My partner grew up in Malaysia and she has spotted a few errors in the meanings given to some words - but overall its pretty accurate in the translation. One thing I did like was the Malay/English and English/Malay dictionary that is included. It is pretty comprehensive for basic words and you can sort of get by in translating simple sentences both ways. More useful for written material than for speech I find - but with a bit of thought you can use it to work out the general meaning of things eg a newspaper story, etc.

I do think though that if anyone buys this book and feels that it will help them converse, they will be disappointed. I think its a useful starting point but to develop converational skills you really need to be talking with a Malay-speaking person.

I needed a Malay phrasebook to brush up on my Malay before an interview. I bought this one and Everyday Malay by Oey et al. This one was very useful, the other wasn't. The topics are pertinent, detailed, and the two-way dictionary is brief yet strangely comprehensive for the most common terms. My only complaint (if I may call it that) is that the physical size of the book is a little small so can be a little taxing on the eyes owing to its small font size. Other than that, it's a top-notch phrasebook and the only one you'll need.

extremely helpful, it can not get any better, for some thing that pocket size, it will not make you learn the language, but will be of great help. I strongly recommend it.

I was quite happy with the second edition when it came out in 2002, so I suppose I shouldn't complain too much. Still, when many other LP phrasebooks (such as Thai and Indonesian) were updated I was somewhat disappointed when I found that the third edition had not been. It remains a workable phrasebook for short-term visitors and anyone interested in Bahasa Melayu, with both local spellings and easy-to-understand pronunciation guides.