| Brunei's official and dominant language is Malay (with a few local twists). However, English is widely spoken (most schooling is conducted in English). Among the significant ethnic Chinese population various Chinese dialects are spoken.
Although it is very easy to get by with English it is always a good idea to lean at least a little of the local language. Here are some basic words and phrases to get you started:
Greetings |
| How are you? |
Apa Khabar? |
|
Good evening |
Selamat Malam |
Welcome |
Selamat Datang |
|
Good night |
Selamat malam |
Good morning |
Selamat Pagi |
|
Goodbye |
Selamat tinggal or |
| Good afternoon |
Selamat Petang |
|
|
Selamat jalan |
| Food & Drink |
| Beef |
Daging lembu (Sapi) |
|
Hungry |
Sangat ingin, lapar |
| Breakfast |
Sarapan pagi |
|
Lunch |
Makan tengahari |
Bread |
Roti |
|
Milk |
Susu |
Butter |
Mentega |
|
Prawn |
Udang (Siar) |
Chicken |
Ayam |
|
Restaurant |
Restoran |
Chili |
Lada |
|
Rice |
Nasi |
Dinner |
Makan malam |
|
Shrimp paste |
Belacan |
| Drink |
Minum |
|
Sugar |
Gula |
Eat |
Makan |
|
Tea |
Teh |
| Fish |
Ikan (Lauk) |
|
Vegetable |
Sayur |
Fruit |
Buah |
|
Water |
Air (Aying) |
| Numbers |
| 1 |
satu |
|
11 |
sebalas |
|
100 |
seratus |
| 2 |
dua |
|
12 |
dua belas |
|
200 |
dua seratus |
| 3 |
tiga |
|
13 |
tiga belas |
|
300 |
tiga seratus |
| 4 |
empat |
|
14 |
empat belas |
|
101 |
seratus satu |
| 5 |
lima |
|
15 |
lima belas |
|
1,000 |
ribu |
| 6 |
enam |
|
20 |
dua puluh |
|
2,000 |
dua ribu |
| 7 |
tujuh |
|
30 |
tiga puluh |
|
3,000 |
tiga ribu |
| 8 |
lapan |
|
40 |
empat puluh |
|
1, 001 |
seribu satu |
| 9 |
sembilan |
|
50 |
lima puluh |
|
2,050 |
dua ribu lima puluh |
| 10 |
sepuluh |
|
20 |
belas |
|
10,100 |
sepuluh ribu seratus |
If you want to know more check out this online dictionary which tells you if the word is standard Malay, Bruneian or even specific to a district in Brunei!
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