French Conversation · Level 64
75 words
French word
malais
Pronunciation
IPA/malɛ/
Meaning
- masculine nounMalay
Example
Je parle malais.
I speak Malay.
More examples
Elle enseigne le malais aux enfants.
She teaches Malay to the children.
Core concept
A practical common tongue shared across neighboring societies in maritime Southeast Asia.
Common phrases
parler malais
speak Malay
apprendre le malais
learn Malay
enseigner le malais
teach Malay
Similar words
malaisien: A person from Malaysia.
Malaisie: A country in Southeast Asia.
indonésien: The language spoken in Indonesia.
Definition in French
Langue parlée par les Malais et utilisée comme lingua franca dans plusieurs régions de l'Asie du Sud-Est.
Word origin
The form malais reflects European transmission of the Malay name, especially Portuguese malaio, from Malay Melayu.
Usage tips
- For Malaysian nationality, French uses malaisien rather than malais: Je suis malaisien means Malaysian, while Je parle malais names the language.
Related words
- MalaisieMalaysianoun
- malaisienMalaysianadjective