Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia) and Malay (Bahasa Melayu) are two standardized varieties of the same language.

Speakers of both languages can generally understand each other in everyday conversations.

However, decades of separate development and different colonial influences have created significant differences between them.

Understanding these differences is crucial for anyone looking to learn, travel, or work in Southeast Asia.

Historical influences and loanwords

The biggest differences between Indonesian and Malay stem from their colonial histories.

Indonesia was colonized by the Dutch for over 300 years.

Because of this, the Indonesian language has absorbed thousands of Dutch loanwords.

Malaysia was colonized by the British, meaning modern Malay has adopted many English words.

You can easily see these historical footprints when looking at modern everyday vocabulary.

Indonesian also draws a massive amount of vocabulary from Javanese, which is the native language of Indonesia’s largest ethnic group.

Malay hasn’t been influenced by Javanese in the same way.

Vocabulary differences and false friends

While much of the core vocabulary is identical, many everyday words are completely different.

Sometimes Indonesian uses a native Austronesian word while Malay uses an English loanword, or vice versa.

Here’s a comparison table of common vocabulary differences.

There are also “false friends” that learners need to watch out for in these languages.

A false friend is a word that looks the same in both languages but carries a completely different meaning.

The word polisi means “police” in Indonesian, but in Malay, it means “policy”.

The word percuma means “useless” in Indonesian, but it translates to “free of charge” in Malay.

Using these false friends incorrectly can cause a lot of confusion during a conversation.

Spelling and pronunciation differences

Indonesian and Malay both use the Latin alphabet.

This makes both languages very accessible to native English speakers.

They officially standardized their spelling systems together in 1972 to make communication easier.

Despite this joint effort, noticeable spelling and pronunciation differences still exist today.

Indonesian is spoken exactly as it’s spelled, with clear, flat vowel sounds.

Malay pronunciation often changes the final “a” of a word to a soft “uh” or “ah” sound.

For example, look at how an Indonesian speaker would ask you what you’re doing.

In Indonesian, the word apa is pronounced with a hard “ah” sound at the end.

In Malaysia, apa is usually pronounced “ah-puh”.

Indonesian speakers also roll their “r” sounds very heavily.

Malay speakers tend to soften or drop the “r” at the end of words, similar to a British English accent.

Which language should you learn?

Choosing between Indonesian and Malay depends entirely on your personal goals and travel plans.

If you plan to live in, work in, or visit Indonesia, you should strictly learn Indonesian.

Indonesia has a massive population of over 270 million people.

This makes Indonesian a highly useful and practical language in the global market.

If you choose to learn Indonesian, I highly recommend starting with Talk In Indonesian.

Our platform provides straightforward, interactive lessons to get you speaking the language fast.

If your focus is primarily on Malaysia, Singapore, or Brunei, then Malay is the better choice.

Keep in mind that learning either language will still give you a massive head start in understanding the other.

You can comfortably travel through both regions regardless of which variety you choose to master.