Emergency

1. Tolong!

   To-long!

   Help!

   Usage

   Urgent call for help

   Grammar Note

   "Tolong!" is the most direct call for help. Same in Indonesian. Malaysia's emergency number is 999.

2. Saya perlukan doktor

   Sa-ya per-lu-kan dok-tor

   I need a doctor

   Usage

   Requesting medical help

   Grammar Note

   "Perlukan" is transitive form of "perlu" (need) with suffix "-kan". Malay verbs become transitive with "-kan".

3. Saya hilang dompet saya

   Sa-ya hi-lang dom-pet sa-ya

   I lost my wallet

   Usage

   Reporting a lost item

   Grammar Note

   In Malay, possessives come after the noun. "Dompet saya" (my wallet) = noun + possessive pronoun.

4. Panggil polis!

   Pang-gil po-lis!

   Call the police!

   Usage

   Urgently asking someone to call the police

   Grammar Note

   "Panggil" means to call/summon. Indonesian uses "polisi" but Malay uses the shorter "polis".

5. Saya terluka

   Sa-ya ter-lu-ka

   I am injured

   Usage

   Stating you are injured

   Grammar Note

   The "ter-" prefix marks accidental or involuntary events. "Terluka" means "became injured/wounded".

6. Saya alah kepada...

   Sa-ya a-lah ke-pa-da...

   I am allergic to...

   Usage

   Informing medical staff about allergies

   Grammar Note

   "Alah" means allergic in Malay. "Kepada" marks direction/target. Example: "Saya alah kepada kacang" (I am allergic to nuts).

7. Nombor kecemasan apa?

   Nom-bor ke-ce-ma-san a-pa?

   What is the emergency number?

   Usage

   Asking for the emergency contact number

   Grammar Note

   Malaysia's emergency number is 999 (police, fire, ambulance). "Nombor" is from English "number".

8. Saya perlukan ambulans

   Sa-ya per-lu-kan am-bu-lans

   I need an ambulance

   Usage

   Requesting an ambulance in a medical emergency

   Grammar Note

   "Perlu" (need/necessary) + suffix "-kan" creates the transitive verb "perlukan" (to need something). A key Malay suffix.

9. Pasport saya dicuri

   Pas-port sa-ya di-cu-ri

   My passport was stolen

   Usage

   Reporting passport theft to the police

   Grammar Note

   The "di-" prefix forms passive voice in Malay. "Dicuri" (stolen), "ditemui" (found). British High Commission: "Suruhanjaya Tinggi British".

10. Tolong hubungi kedutaan saya

    To-long hu-bung-i ke-du-ta-an sa-ya

    Please contact my embassy

    Usage

    Requesting embassy contact in an emergency

    Grammar Note

    "Kedutaan" derives from "duta" (ambassador). Use as "Kedutaan Jepun" (Japanese Embassy), etc.

11. Hentikan!

    Stop it!

    Usage

    A flat refusal to a pushy tout, a scam, or unwanted contact — can be held up without saying a word. It is meant to be blunt

12. Jangan sentuh saya!

    Don't touch me!

    Usage

    An explicit refusal of physical contact; holding it up also shows bystanders what is happening

13. Barang saya dicuri

    My things were stolen

    Usage

    Report a theft to police or staff; point at what is missing as you show it

14. Kebakaran

    Fire

    Usage

    A fire: a building or the like burning, and the disaster it causes

15. Pencuri

    Thief

    Usage

    A person who steals; use it when reporting a theft

16. Rompakan

    Robbery

    Usage

    A robbery; an armed one is "rompakan bersenjata"

17. Peragut

    Snatch thief

    Usage

    Someone who snatches what you are wearing or carrying and runs; for example, motorcycle snatchers targeting tourists

18. Penyeluk saku

    Pickpocket

    Usage

    A pickpocket, literally one who reaches into a pocket ("saku")

19. Penculikan

    Kidnapping

    Usage

    The act or the case of kidnapping someone

20. Pembunuhan

    Murder

    Usage

    The act of killing someone

21. Rusuhan

    Riot

    Usage

    A riot or civil disturbance taking place

22. Bom

    Bomb

    Usage

    A weapon that explodes, causing fire and destruction. The same spelling has unrelated senses (a cockfighting ring, a cart shaft)

23. Kebakaran! Lari!

    Ke-ba-ka-ran! La-ri!

    Fire! Run!

    Usage

    Alerts the people around you to a fire and tells them to run

    Grammar Note

    Kebakaran means fire. Malay imperatives use the bare verb root. Lari means running to escape danger; "Lari!" is the command to run or flee.

24. Pencuri! Tolong tangkap dia!

    Pen-cu-ri! To-long tang-kap di-a!

    Thief! Catch him!

    Usage

    Calls on bystanders to seize someone who has just stolen from you

    Grammar Note

    "Pencuri" (thief) followed by the "Tolong + verb + object" request frame of "Tolong hubungi kedutaan saya". "menangkap" means seizing someone who has committed an offence.

25. Panggil kereta bomba!

    Pang-gil ke-re-ta bom-ba!

    Please call a fire engine

    Usage

    Asks someone to call a fire engine

    Grammar Note

    Replaces the object of "Panggil polis!" with kereta bomba (fire engine). Malay kereta means car; in Indonesian it means train.

26. Di mana balai polis?

    Di ma-na ba-lai po-lis?

    Where is the police station?

    Usage

    Asks for the police station so you can report an incident

    Grammar Note

    The same "Di mana + noun?" frame as "Di mana bilik air?". "Balai polis" means "pejabat polis di sesuatu tempat" (the police office of a place).

27. Saya perlukan laporan polis.

    Sa-ya per-lu-kan la-po-ran po-lis.

    I need a police report

    Usage

    Asks the police for the written report you need for an insurance claim or a replacement document. The sentence itself does not name the theft, so say or mime that part

    Grammar Note

    The same "Saya perlukan + noun" frame as "Saya perlukan doktor" and "Saya perlukan ambulans". "Laporan" is glossed "apa-apa yg dilaporkan" (whatever is reported).

28. Adakah sesiapa yang boleh bertutur dalam Bahasa Jepun?

    A-da-kah se-sia-pa yang bo-leh ber-tu-tur da-lam Ba-ha-sa Je-pun?

    Is there anyone who speaks Japanese?

    Usage

    Looks for a Japanese speaker at a hospital or a police station

    Grammar Note

    Takes "Adakah doktor yang boleh bertutur dalam Bahasa Inggeris?" and swaps "doktor" for "sesiapa" (anyone) and "Inggeris" for "Jepun", the word of "Saya orang Jepun".

29. Dia pengsan.

    Di-a peng-san.

    This person is unconscious

    Usage

    Tells responders or bystanders that the person who has collapsed is unconscious

    Grammar Note

    The same "pronoun + state word" frame as "Saya demam", with the subject switched to the third person "dia" («Dia pandai menyanyi dengan penuh perasaan.»). "pengsan" means "tidak sedarkan diri kerana sakit, terkejut dsb" — unconscious through illness or shock.

30. Ada orang lemas!

    A-da o-rang le-mas!

    Someone is drowning

    Usage

    Raises the alarm when you see someone drowning at the beach or in a pool

    Grammar Note

    The "Ada + noun + predicate" existential of "Ada bilik kosong?" without the question intonation. The noun "orang" is the word of "Saya orang Jepun". "lemas" means "tidak dpt bernafas kerana tenggelam dlm air" — unable to breathe because of being submerged.

31. Saya dipukul.

    Sa-ya di-pu-kul.

    I was beaten

    Usage

    Reports to police or a doctor that you were assaulted

    Grammar Note

    The "noun + di- passive" pattern also appears in "Pasport saya dicuri". Pukul can mean striking hard or the hour (e.g. "Pukul berapa sekarang?"). The passive dipukul only means being struck.

32. Saya ditikam.

    Sa-ya di-ti-kam.

    I was stabbed

    Usage

    Tells responders or police that you were stabbed with a blade

    Grammar Note

    The same "noun + di- passive" frame as «Pasport saya dicuri». "menikam" means "mencucuk atau melukai dgn senjata tajam spt keris, pisau" — piercing or wounding with a blade. A different word "tikam" means betting, but the passive "ditikam" does not carry that sense.

33. Bilik saya dimasuki pencuri.

    Bi-lik sa-ya di-ma-su-ki pen-cu-ri.

    My room was broken into

    Usage

    Reports to the hotel or the police that your room was entered while you were out

    Grammar Note

    The same "noun + saya + di- passive" frame as "Pasport saya dicuri", with the noun swapped for "bilik" («Ada bilik kosong?») and the agent for "Pencuri". The root "masuk" is the one in "pintu masuk" («Adakah terdapat tanjakan atau pintu masuk tanpa tangga?»).

34. Orang itu penjenayahnya.

    O-rang i-tu pen-je-na-yah-nya.

    That person is the culprit

    Usage

    Points out the offender to the police

    Grammar Note

    Malay equational sentences juxtapose noun phrases with no copula. "Orang itu" combines "orang" («Saya orang Jepun») with "Itu". "Penjenayah" means "orang yg melakukan jenayah" (a person who commits a crime), and the final -nya is the definite marker.

35. Saya ditipu.

    Sa-ya di-ti-pu.

    I was deceived

    Usage

    Says that you were cheated or scammed

    Grammar Note

    The same di- passive victim frame as «Pasport saya dicuri». The root "tipu" already appears in «Jangan tipu saya / Jangan kaut duit saya» ("Jangan tipu saya" — do not cheat me).

36. Dompet saya dicuri.

    Dom-pet sa-ya di-cu-ri.

    My wallet was stolen

    Usage

    Reports the theft of your wallet to the police or your hotel

    Grammar Note

    Replaces the noun in "Pasport saya dicuri" with dompet (wallet). "Saya hilang dompet saya" says the wallet was lost; dicuri means it was stolen, a different cause.

37. Beg saya tertinggal.

    Beg sa-ya ter-ting-gal.

    I left my bag behind

    Usage

    Says that you left your bag behind on a vehicle or in a shop

    Grammar Note

    The same "noun + saya + passive form" order as "Pasport saya dicuri", with the noun swapped for "beg" from "Ini adalah beg kabin". "tertinggal" can mean "tidak dibawa bersama kerana terlupa" — not brought along because it was forgotten.

38. Saya dilanggar kereta.

    Sa-ya di-lang-gar ke-re-ta.

    I was hit by a car

    Usage

    Tells responders or police that a car hit you

    Grammar Note

    The same di- passive frame as «Pasport saya dicuri», with "kereta" ("Kereta tidak dapat dihidupkan.") as the agent. "melanggar" can mean "merempuh; melanda" (to ram, to crash into); for example, a car crashing into a shop.

39. Tolong keluar melalui pintu kecemasan.

    To-long ke-lu-ar me-la-lu-i pin-tu ke-ce-ma-san.

    Please escape through the emergency exit

    Usage

    Directs people to the escape route

    Grammar Note

    The "Tolong + verb" request frame ("Tolong hubungi kedutaan saya") with the word of "Keluar", "melalui" from «Saya ingin menghantarnya melalui ekspres / pos berdaftar.» ("menghantarnya melalui ekspres"), and the sign wording "Pintu kecemasan".

40. Bahaya!

    Ba-ha-ya!

    Watch out!

    Usage

    Warns people of an immediate danger

    Grammar Note

    A one-word noun alarm, built the same way as "Kebakaran!" (fire, «Kebakaran»). The root is the one in the adjective "berbahaya" (dangerous) of «Ada hiu atau haiwan laut berbahaya di sini?» ("haiwan laut berbahaya"), «Ada haiwan berbahaya di kawasan ini?» and «Adakah hidupan liar berbahaya di sini?».

41. Tolong cepat.

    To-long ce-pat.

    Please hurry

    Usage

    Urges someone to hurry

    Grammar Note

    The "Tolong + word" request frame («Tolong hubungi kedutaan saya», "Tolong bawa saya ke hospital"). "cepat" can mean "lekas; segera" (at once); for example, "Kita mesti pergi ~" (we must go quickly).

42. Tolong datang sekarang juga.

    To-long da-tang se-ka-rang ju-ga.

    Please come right away

    Usage

    Asks someone — on the phone, for instance — to come immediately

    Grammar Note

    Combines the polite "Tolong + verb" request with datang (come) and sekarang juga (right now).

43. Ada kemalangan jalan raya.

    A-da ke-ma-la-ngan ja-lan ra-ya.

    There has been a traffic accident

    Usage

    Tell the police, paramedics or bystanders that a traffic accident has happened

    Grammar Note

    Takes "Ada kemalangan" from "Ada kemalangan — tolong hubungi pasukan penyelamat ski." and adds "jalan raya"; "jalan" is the word of "Ada jalan tol di laluan ini?". "kemalangan" means "kecelakaan, kesialan, kerugian, kesusahan" and "jalan raya" means "jalan besar". kemalangan jalan raya / kemalangan lalu lintas.

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