Welcome to all our new readers and to everyone else who has been following this series with us, we’re so excited to be back! For those of you who have recently joined us, ‘Jom Belajar’ (Bahasa Malaysia for ‘Let’s Learn’) is a segment that focuses on sharing insights about our local Malaysian culture and traditions. This section covers a variety of topics, including local festivals, delicacies, customs, and more; aimed at showcasing all the wonderful things that Malaysia has to offer.
In today’s installment of Jom Belajar, we’re kicking off the series with a quick look at the most frequently-used Malaysian suffix – ‘lah’! This simple three-letter slang word can mean an affirmation, dismissal, exasperation, or exclamation in different contexts, and has become a permanent fixture in our colloquial language. Many also use ‘lah’ to soften a command or to emphasize items in a spoken list, appearing after each item in the list. Examples include:
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In response to a request: Can lah!
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To express exasperation: What lah!
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To soften a command: Sit down here lah!
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To emphasize items in a list: This restaurant has everything – pasta lah, nasi lemak lah, fried rice lah… they can cook anything you want lah!
Lah does not necessarily have to come at the end of a sentence – here are some examples of sophisticated variants of its use:
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No fun-lah, you! (Meaning: You’re really no fun at all!)
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You see-lah, like that also you cannot do! (Meaning: Can’t you even complete a simple task?)
A common mistake is to excessively use lah at the end of every other word in a sentence. Knowing where to accurately place the suffix will add a certain nuance to your speech that Malaysians will surely appreciate. With enough time and practice, you will soon be able to use it properly lah!
