Teaching Idioms in Bahasa Malaysia

Simpulan Bahasa B

汉语

Babi buta Teaching idioms in Malay involves understanding the background. For instance why do Malaysians say ' to run around blindly as a swine?' Judging a swine objectively based on zoological observation, it is a smart omnivorous opportunist. However, I was once startled by a prancing, squealing swine. Babi and buta makes quite a nice aliteration as well, hence membabi buta means to act recklessly.

Gelaran Mat Rempit adalah terlalu sopan untuk dirujuk kepada penunggang motosikal yang menunggang membabi-buta pada waktu malam.
The designation Mat Rempit is too polite to refer to nocturnal motorcyclists who ride recklessly.

Babu cuci Babu is a maid, babu cuci is one who does the laundry.

Kerja babu cuci ibuku senang kerana dia menggunakan mesin cuci.
My honourable mother's laundress has an easy job because she uses the washing machine.

Babu dalam Chambermaid. In the old days, well-to-do families have their own babu dalam, but we should be adaptable to the current trends in teaching idioms

Kini biasanya babu dalam diupah untuk bekerja di hotel.
Nowadays, a chambermaid is employed to work in a hotel.

Bahasa basahan Basahan is daily clothes, so bahasa basahan is the unwritten colloquial Bahasa Malaysia used on a daily basis.

Siri televisyen Scenario menampilkan penggunaan bahasa basahan
The TV series Scenario portrays the usage of colloquial Malay.

Bahasa dalam Court language.

Bersiram ialah bahasa dalam untuk mandi.
Bersiram is court language meaning to bathe.

*Tuan puteri bersiram means the princess is taking a bath, not watering the flowers. : ) I know some of you out there connect her with the watering can.

Bahasa kalangan Language known to a certain group of people.

Bahasa dalam ialah sejenis bahasa kalangan atasan.
The court language is a type of language belonging to the upper class.

Bahasa pasar 1. A simple form of Bahasa Malaysia which non-Malays use to communicate. That is to say, it is pidginized Malay also called bazaar Malay.

Kita menggunakan bahasa pasar apabila membeli-belah di pasar.
We use bazaar Malay while buying things in a market.

Bahasa pasar 2. When you mix your mother tongue with a second language, that makes a patois. In the case of the Straits Chinese and Indians, when this mixture of their mother tongues and Bahasa Malaysia become their main languages, it is called a creole.

Baba nyonya bertutur bahasa pasar.
The baba nyonyas of Malacca speak creole Malay.

Baik sangka Goodwill.

Manusia memerlukan hubungan baik sangka dan layanan mesra antara satu sama lain.
People need relationship based on goodwill and treat each other cordially.

Baju monyet A type of kiddie clothing in which the shirt is sewn to the trousers. Whenever there is an excuse, teaching idioms with pictures is fun.

Baby SeaHorse Buy From Art.com

"Baju monyet saya yang berupa unduk-unduk."

Baby Holding Kitten Buy From Art.com

"Baju monyet berwarna biru..."

Balas dendam Vengeance. Teaching idioms about vengeance may not necessarily be violent...

Croatia bersedia untuk membalas dendam ke atas Jerman berikutan kekalahan mereka pada suku akhir Euro '96.
Croatia was ready to revenge itself on Germany following the latter's defeat at Euro '96 semi finals.

Balik gagang Gagang can be the handle of a rifle, if you turn your rife the other way round, you are a traitor who has deflected to the enemies.

Datuk Maharaja Lela ditewas oleh British kerana anak buahnya berbalik gagang.
Datuk Maharaja Lela was defeated by the British because his countrymen sided with the enemy.

Balur liat Balur is the thick hide found on the cow's skull. Balur liat is very tough hide. This is to denote a very lazy person. If you have ever tried teaching idioms to a lazy student, you will empathize with Wan that it is impossible to pull through...

Si balur liat itu tidur hingga tengah hari saban hari.
That slothful person sleeps until noon every day.

Bangkai bernyawa The living dead. A useless person.

Masyarakat Malaysia menganggap penagih dadah sebagai bangkai bernyawa.
Malaysian society considers drug addicts as the living dead.

Bantal lengan A person so poor that he only has his arms to serve as a pillow, according to our Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka. Teaching idioms in Bahasa Malaysia can be difficult when not many people seem to care about this definition but you can't blame them because berbantal lengan simply means to sleep on your arms.

Banting tulang Literally to thresh your bones as you work very hard.
Petani perlu membanting tulang empat kerat untuk menyara keluarga.
A farmer has to work hard with all his four limbs to take care of his family.

Banyak akal Full of ideas.

Orang yang banyak akal tidak akan kelaparan.
A person who is full of ideas will not go hungry.

p.s. if they are good ideas : )

Bapa angkat Adoptive father. An adoptive father takes a child into his home and becomes his legal parent. A foster father takes a child into his home for a period of time WITHOUT becoming the child's legal parent. Bapa angkat can be an adoptive or foster father.

Bapa kandung Biological father.

Semenjak bapa kandung anak itu meninggal dunia, dia menumpang kasih kepada seorang bapa saudara yang menjadi bapa angkatnya.
Since the child's biological father has passed away, the child is taken care of by an uncle who becomes his adoptive/foster father.

Bapa ayam 1. A man who doesn't take care of his children. That's according to theory only...

Bapa ayam 2. A pimp.

Polis telah menangkap 178 lelaki tempatan yang disyaki bekerja sebagai ‘bapa ayam’
Police arrested 178 local men suspected of working as pimps.

Barang hantaran Dowry gifts that a couple send to each other in a Malay wedding.

"Saya melamarnya melalui telefon, sejurus mendapat persetujuan, saya membeli barang-barang hantaran di sana termasuk sebentuk cincin perkahwinan."--seorang suami menceritakan tentang lamarannya.
"I proposed on the phone, once she consented, I bought the dowry there including a wedding ring."--a husband relating how he proposed to his wife.

Barang kemas Accessories.

Wanita kaya berlagak dengan memakai banyak barang kemas emas.
Rich ladies show off by wearing lots of gold accessories.

Basuh mulut Teaching idioms like basuh mulut requires a little forethought. It sounds kind of dry to wash your mouth with a piece of kuih ketayap after a meal. Actually, "basuh mulut" is defined as DRINKS and snacks, now that sounds more washable. After all, I must have my ketayap with a cup of kopi - O, don't you?

Wan membasuh mulut dengan ketayap dan kopi.
Wan has ketayap and coffee for dessert.

Batu api Ever see cavemen rubbing two flintstones against each other to start a fire? So a person who acts as a flintstone ultimately produces fire that destroys relationships, he incites people against each other.

Suratkhabar sering menjadi batu api peperangan.
Newspapers often incite wars.

Batu loncatan Loncat is to jump with both legs. If you come across a puddle that is too wide to cross over, just put a rock in the middle as a ...STEPPING STONE.
Akademi Fantasia boleh menjadi batu loncatan kepada kaum muda berbakat ke kerjaya artis.
Talented young people may use Akademi Fantasia as a stepping to a career as a performing artist.

Bau-bau bacang Bacang is better known as macang in my state. It is also called horse mango. My hometown folks will tell you there are a few fruits that leave a more pungent reek than bacang. Again, I think it's the alliteration of the consonant "b" that makes bacang the subject of this simpulan bahasa. Looks like teaching idioms in Bahasa Malaysia requires a sense of alliteration, hi hih. I can smell there is a connection between you and bacang, even if you have just touched it lightly. Hence, bacang becomes a symbol of a distant relative.

Jika diambil kira saudara bau-bau bacang, besarlah keluarga kami.
Our family is big if we consider the distant relatives as well.

Top of Teaching Idioms in Malay

Back to Malay Idiom Section

Previous

Next

Return from Teaching Idioms in Malay to Homepage