Hi Italki learners,

Re: Specifically in regards to learning the Malay language

I have received a few similar questions from students in regards to learning Malay and I would like to post the most commonly asked questions here so that I may reach a wider audience.

The formal pronunciation usage is to use "bahasa baku" which means that the vowels (a, e, i, o, u) are heavily stressed. For example - the word "bank" is not pronounced the same way the English "bank" is pronounced, but rather like the "baa" in "baa baa black sheep" and then "nk" (the same as in English).

Everyday conversational usage is liberal. Informally, many speakers do not use "bahasa baku".

The Malay accent is sing-song like and rounded at the edges. There are no strong guttural tones from the throat as in the Dutch or German language. Malay, in my opinion, is a sweet, elegant language :) but just maybe I am bias as I grew up with Malay and have spoken it all my life...

Hope this post helps in some way!

Mrs. Malay