Body Parts

1. Kepala

   Head

   Usage

   Show it at a clinic and point at your head. "Kepala saya sakit" means "my head hurts"

2. Rambut

   Hair

   Usage

   Used at a salon or barber. "Potong rambut" means "a haircut"

3. Muka

   Face

   Usage

   The everyday word. "Wajah" is literary; in conversation people say "muka"

4. Mata

   Eye

   Usage

   For eye drops or contact lenses. "Cermin mata" is a pair of glasses

5. Telinga

   Ear

   Usage

   Useful for reporting ear trouble after diving off islands like the Perhentians

6. Hidung

   Nose

   Usage

   Comes up in haze season. "Hidung tersumbat" means a blocked nose

7. Mulut

   Mouth

   Usage

   Used at the dentist or for mouth ulcers

8. Gigi

   Tooth

   Usage

   "Sakit gigi" is toothache; the dentist is "doktor gigi" — spelled with an "o", unlike Indonesian "dokter"

9. Lidah

   Tongue

   Usage

   For a tongue burning from sambal, or when a doctor asks to see it

10. Leher

    Neck

    Usage

    The outer neck you can touch; the throat inside is a different word, "tekak"

11. Tekak

    Throat

    Usage

    "Sakit tekak" is a sore throat — the phrase pharmacies expect. Indonesian uses "tenggorokan" for the same thing

12. Bahu

    Shoulder

    Usage

    Point at it to tell a masseuse where to work

13. Lengan

    Arm

    Usage

    Shoulder to wrist — handy when showing where an injection should go

14. Siku

    Elbow

    Usage

    Used after a fall when the elbow took the impact

15. Tangan

    Hand

    Usage

    The hand itself. In Malaysia it is polite to pass things and eat with the right hand

16. Jari

    Finger

    Usage

    Covers fingers and toes; say "jari kaki" for toes specifically

17. Kuku

    Nail

    Usage

    Used at a nail salon or when you break a nail

18. Dada

    Chest

    Usage

    An emergency word for chest pain or tightness

19. Perut

    Stomach / Belly

    Usage

    Malay does not split belly from stomach — both are "perut". "Sakit perut" covers any stomach ache

20. Belakang badan

    Back

    Usage

    "Belakang" alone just means "behind", so add "badan" for the body part. This is what Indonesian calls "punggung"

21. Punggung

    Buttocks

    Usage

    In Malay this is the buttocks — but the identical Indonesian word means the back, so the meanings swap. Use it for an injection site or after a long bus ride

22. Pinggang

    Waist / Lower back

    Usage

    "Sakit pinggang" is lower-back pain. Note that the kidney is called "buah pinggang", built from this word

23. Peha

    Thigh

    Usage

    Spelled "peha" in Malaysia and "paha" in Indonesia. The same word is used for chicken thigh

24. Kaki

    Leg / Foot

    Usage

    One word for leg and foot alike. The sole is "tapak kaki" in Malay, "telapak kaki" in Indonesian

25. Lutut

    Knee

    Usage

    Used after descending Mount Kinabalu, or after sitting on the floor at a mosque

26. Buku lali

    Ankle

    Usage

    A distinctly Malaysian term. A sprain is "terseliuh". Indonesian says "pergelangan kaki" instead

27. Kulit

    Skin

    Usage

    For sunburn or insect bites; "doktor kulit" is a dermatologist

28. Tulang

    Bone

    Usage

    A fracture is "patah tulang" — show it in an emergency to say a bone is involved

29. Darah

    Blood

    Usage

    "Kumpulan darah" is blood type and "darah tinggi" is high blood pressure — both come up in a dengue test

30. Jantung

    Heart

    Usage

    The organ; "sakit jantung" is heart disease. The metaphorical heart is "hati" instead

31. Usus

    Intestine

    Usage

    "Radang usus buntu" is appendicitis — show it if the pain has settled in your lower right side

32. Paru-paru

    Lungs

    Usage

    Comes up with asthma or a chest X-ray, and in haze season conversations about breathing

33. Hati

    Liver

    Usage

    The liver. The same word also means "heart / feelings", and "hati-hati" means "be careful" — so show the screen in a medical setting

34. Buah pinggang

    Kidney

    Usage

    Literally "fruit of the waist". Completely different from Indonesian "ginjal", so switch words between the two countries

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