Key takeaways
- The core Malay question words are apa (what), siapa (who), mana (where or which), bila (when), mengapa or kenapa (why), bagaimana (how) and berapa (how many).
- Wiktionary notes that mana for 'where' is incomplete without di, ke or dari: di mana, ke mana, dari mana.
- Mengapa is the formal 'why' and kenapa the informal one.
- Siapa also asks for a name: Siapa nama kamu? means 'What is your name?'.
- The suffix -kah marks a yes-no question on words such as ada (Adakah awak lapar?) and adds emphasis to question words.
Malay question words are short, and several of them are built from the same root. Apa, "what", turns up inside siapa "who", berapa "how many" and mengapa "why". Learn that family plus mana, bila and bagaimana and you can ask almost anything. This reference gives each word with an example sentence from Wiktionary, then shows how -kah and word order shape a question. Spellings are standard Malaysian Malay.
The question words at a glance
| Malay | English | Example from Wiktionary |
|---|---|---|
| apa | what | Apa warna kegemaran kamu? "What is your favourite colour?" |
| siapa | who, whose | Siapa itu? "Who is that?" |
| di mana | where (at) | Di mana awak tinggal? "Where do you live?" |
| ke mana | where to | Awak hendak pergi ke mana? "Where do you want to go?" |
| bila | when | Bila kau pergi sekolah? "When did you go to school?" |
| mengapa, kenapa | why | Kenapa kau begitu degil? "Why are you so stubborn?" |
| bagaimana | how | Bagaimana cara memasak lauk ini? "How do you cook this dish?" |
| berapa | how many, how much | Berapa orang terlibat dalam persembahan? "How many people are involved in the play?" |
| yang mana | which | Baju yang mana dipakai Michael Jackson? "Which shirt was worn by Michael Jackson?" |
Apa and the words built from it
Wiktionary lists apa as an interrogative pronoun, with apakah as its formal interrogative form. It also lists the words formed from it, among them siapa "who", berapa "how much", mengapa "why" and apabila "when". Seeing the family helps: berapa is ber- plus apa, and mengapa is meng- plus apa, the same prefixes covered in our Malay affixes guide.
On its own, apa is also an interjection. Wiktionary notes that a bare Apa? for "pardon?" is often considered impolite, and that Maaf? is preferred.
Siapa for people and names
Siapa asks "who" or "whose": Ini baju siapa?, "Whose shirt is this?". English speakers should note its second use. Malay asks for a name with siapa, not apa: Siapa nama kamu?, literally "who is your name?", means "What is your name?". Choose the "you" in that sentence with care; Malay pronouns explains why kamu is familiar and anda polite.
Mana: where, which, and the preposition it needs
Mana carries two meanings. As "where", Wiktionary says it is incomplete without a preposition:
- di mana, "where, at what place": Adam di mana?, "Where is Adam?"
- ke mana, "where to": Awak hendak pergi ke mana?
- dari mana, "where from".
As "which", mana is optionally used with yang: Baju (yang) mana satu pilihan hati?, "Which shirt is the one you choose?". Wiktionary also records macam mana as an everyday "how", a synonym of bagaimana. One caution from the same source: using di mana and yang mana as relative words, in the sense of English "where" and "which" in the middle of a sentence, is widespread but proscribed by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka's official grammar.
Bila, mengapa, kenapa and bagaimana
Bila is "when" as a question. Wiktionary notes that bila is also extremely common as a conjunction, but that Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka prescribes apabila for that use instead.
For "why", mengapa is formal and kenapa informal. Wiktionary lists apa hal and apa pasal as further synonyms of mengapa.
Bagaimana means "how", both "in what way" and "in what state": Bagaimana keadaan pesakit itu?, "How is the patient's condition?".
Berapa for numbers, prices and the time
Berapa asks about amount, value, time and measurement, according to Wiktionary. Its examples show how much ground one word covers:
- Sekarang pukul berapa?, "What time is it?", literally "now, how many o'clock?"
- Adam umur berapa?, "How old is Adam?"
For the answers, see Malay numbers.
A worked example: three ways to ask one question
Take a simple statement and turn it into questions with the tools above:
- Statement: Awak lapar. "You are hungry."
- Yes-no question with -kah: Adakah awak lapar? "Are you hungry?" Wiktionary describes -kah as used on modal verbs and adverbs in questions, here on ada.
- Emphatic question word: Berapa ramaikah orang dalam keluarga awak? "How many people are there in your family?" Here -kah attaches to the question phrase for emphasis. Wiktionary adds that -kah is usually only used in formal or literary speech or writing.
Word order is flexible too. Wiktionary's examples put di mana first in Di mana awak tinggal? and last in Adam di mana?. Wikipedia's Malay grammar article notes more generally that the focused element of a clause is usually placed at the beginning, followed by a slight pause.
Practising questions in the app
Learn Malay - Bahasa Melayu teaches questions in its grammar lessons, alongside word order, pronouns and the affix system, and its phrase lessons cover directions, shopping and social conversation. It is one of our language-learning apps. For ready-made phrases, see Malay phrases for travel.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
What are the main question words in Malay?
How do you say 'where' in Malay?
What is the difference between mengapa and kenapa?
What does the suffix -kah do in Malay questions?
Sources
- mana (opens in a new tab)Wiktionary — accessed
- -kah (opens in a new tab)Wiktionary — accessed
- kenapa (opens in a new tab)Wiktionary — accessed
- Malay grammar (opens in a new tab)Wikipedia — accessed
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