Malaysian

IPA/məlˈeɪziən/
KK[məlˈeʒən]IPA/məlˈeɪʒən/

Malaysian — adjective

1. describes something that comes from Malaysia or is connected with its people, cu

1.adjectiveA2
Definition

describes something that comes from Malaysia or is connected with its people, culture, or government.

Example

The Malaysian government opened a new hospital in the capital city.

Malaysian + noun for institutions or government

Femi cooked a Malaysian curry with coconut milk and fresh spices.

Malaysian + noun for food or cuisine

Common collocations
  • Malaysian government
  • Malaysian food
  • Malaysian culture
  • Malaysian citizen
  • Malaysian team
Synonyms
  • Malay

    refers specifically to the ethnic group, not the nationality — 'Malaysian' covers all citizens of Malaysia regardless of ethnicity

Grammar Patterns

Malaysian + noun

Usage Note

Always begins with a capital letter, like all nationality words in English.

Common Mistakes

I ate at a malaysian restaurant.
I ate at a Malaysian restaurant.
nationality words must always be capitalized in English.

Malaysian — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Malaysian' refers to any person who is a citizen of Malaysia, regardless of ethnic background. In contrast, 'Malay' (orang Melayu) specifically describes the country's largest ethnic group, who speak Malay and traditionally follow Islam. 'Malaysian Chinese' and 'Malaysian Indian' refer to the two other major ethnic groups, whose ancestors came from China and India respectively. Learners often say 'He is Malay' when they mean 'He is Malaysian' — but using 'Malay' for a non-Malay Malaysian would be incorrect. For example: 'The tour guide is a Malaysian of Chinese descent' is correct; saying 'The tour guide is a Malay' would only be right if she belongs to the Malay ethnic group.

Malay ↗Malaysian ChineseMalaysian Indian

Etymology

MalayEnglish

The name 'Malaysia' combines 'Malay' (from the Malay word 'Melayu', the name of the main ethnic group) with the geographical suffix '-ia', which is used in English to form country names. The word entered English in the 18th century as European maps began to label the region.