False Friends
Besides vocabulary differences, there are also a number of false friends in both languages. As these words are in quite common use in either or both of the languages, misunderstandings can arise.
| Word | Malaysian meaning | Indonesian meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ahli | a member (of a group) expert in a field (from Arabo-Persian "'aqli" عقلی 'belonging to the intellect or mind, intellectual') |
expert in a field |
| akta | act | act |
| awak | you | me / I, shipper |
| baja | fertilizer | steel |
| banci | census | effeminate, transvestite homosexual |
| bandar | city | port |
| bapa | father (male parent) | specific to 'Father' (God) in religious context (Christianity) . |
| belanja | to treat, giving something for free | to shop (note: also carries this meaning in Malay, though in a context more akin to "spend".) |
| berbual | to chat | to tell a lie |
| bercinta | in (the essence of) love | make love, have sexual intercourse |
| beredar | From the root word "edar" which can means; to oscillate (planets only), to leave, or to distribute | distributed |
| biji | seed | seed, testicles |
| bila | when | if, when |
| bisa | venom | can/able, venom |
| bontot/buntut | buttock | tail |
| budak | kid | slave |
| butoh/butuh | male genitals | need |
| cadangan | suggestion, opinion, proposal | reserve, spare |
| comel | cute, pretty | (to call) someone who can not keep a secret |
| daripada | A preposition that carries 5 meanings; 1. from (to explain the origin of something) 2.than (to do comparison) 3.from (to protect from, to avoid from ) 4. from (to state the sender of something) 5. from (to state the differences) | than (comparison) |
| doktor | doctor (paramedic); doctorate (educational title) | doctorate (educational title) |
| duduk | to sit, a place to live on (only used informally) | to sit |
| electronic mail | enamel | |
| gampang | bastard | easy |
| getah | rubber, plant sap | plant sap |
| hemat | moral excellence | frugal, pennywise, save money or something e.g. electricity, gas or water usage |
| jabatan | department | position |
| jawatan | position | department |
| jemput | invite, pick up | pick up |
| jeruk | pickles/preserved fruits or vegetables | oranges |
| jimat | frugal, pennywise, save money or something e.g. electricity | amulet |
| kacak | handsome | ber-kacak pinggang |
| kakak | elder sister | elder sibling (either elder brother or sister) |
| kakitangan | employee | subordinate |
| kapan | or kafan: Muslim burial shroud | when |
| karya | work of art | work |
| kerajaan | government | kingdom |
| keranjang | 'bola keranjang' = basketball | basket |
| kereta | car | train |
| khidmat | service | fully concentrate |
| koneksi | 'konek' = dick | connection |
| konfeksi | A soft solid made by incorporating a medicinal substance or substances with sugar, sirup, or honey | clothing industry, any fancy or luxurious women's clothes |
| lucu | funny | funny, cute (slang) |
| mangsa | victim | prey |
| operasi | mathematic operational symbol, tactical operation | mathematic operational symbol, police operation, operation/surgery |
| pajak | to mortgage, pawn | tax |
| paket | packet | packet, package (normally used for promotion purposes, |
| pantas | speedily | appropriate, 'no wonder' |
| pantat | buttock, vagina/pussy | buttock |
| pelan | plan |
slow |
| pejabat | office | high-rank officer/officials |
| pemerintah | ruler | government |
| pengajian | studies | mass recitation of Qur'an |
| percuma | free of charge | useless, not needed |
| peti sejuk | refrigerator | cold Coffin |
| piawai | standard; correct | expert; skillful (on something) |
| pijat | bugs | massage Javanese pijet |
| pohon | tree, to plea or to beg | tree |
| pokok | tree | essential, basic, main |
| polis | police | (insurance) policy |
| polisi | policy | police |
| punggung | buttock | back |
| pupuk | to nurture | fertilizer |
| pusing | to go around a place, circular in motion, to spin/rotate | dizzy, confused, headache |
| putera | prince | son |
| rambut | hair (for head only) | hair |
| rayuan | appeal (neutral) | flattery, seduction (emotional or sexual connotation) |
| tambang | fare | mine, rope, passenger, fare |
| tandas | toilet | to explain, to finish |
| senang | easy | happy, relax |
| seronok | good, enjoyable | impolite, pornography-related |
| sulit | confidential, difficult | difficult |
| wakil | representative | vice (for example, 'vice chancellor' and 'vice president'), representative |
Read more about this topic: Differences Between Malaysian And Indonesian
Famous quotes containing the words false and/or friends:
“The books one reads in childhood, and perhaps most of all the bad and good bad books, create in one’s mind a sort of false map of the world, a series of fabulous countries into which one can retreat at odd moments throughout the rest of life, and which in some cases can survive a visit to the real countries which they are supposed to represent.”
—George Orwell (1903–1950)
“Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried,
Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)