Malay conjunctions (kata hubung) are the glue that holds your sentences together.

Learning them allows you to stop speaking in short, broken phrases.

You can easily combine your thoughts into longer, more natural statements.

I’ll show you the most common Malay conjunctions and exactly how to use them in daily conversation.

We’ll also look at the clear differences between formal written Malay and casual spoken variations.

Dan (and)

The word dan connects two similar things together, just like “and” in English.

It’s a very straightforward word that never changes.

You’ll use this exact same word in both formal writing and casual spoken Malay.

Tetapi / tapi (but)

You’ll use this conjunction to introduce a contrasting idea or exception.

The formal word for “but” in Malay is tetapi.

However, in everyday spoken Malay, people almost always shorten this to tapi.

Atau (or)

When giving a choice between two different options, use the word atau.

This word remains exactly the same in both formal texts and casual street slang.

Kerana / sebab (because)

The formal Malay word for “because” is kerana.

You’ll frequently see kerana written in news articles and textbooks.

In casual conversation, locals strongly prefer to use the word sebab instead.

The word sebab literally translates to “reason”, but it functions perfectly as “because” to explain why something happened.

Jika / kalau (if)

You need this conjunction to talk about conditional situations and possibilities.

Jika is the standard, formal word for “if” in the Malay language.

Kalau is the casual equivalent that you’ll hear all the time on the streets of Malaysia.

Jadi (so / therefore)

To show the direct result of a situation, use the word jadi.

It cleanly links a cause to its effect.

The word jadi also means “to become”, but in this context it acts entirely as a conjunction.

Kemudian / lepas tu (then)

This conjunction is vital when you’re sequencing events or telling a story.

Kemudian is the formal way to say “then” or “after that”.

In daily speech, Malaysians almost exclusively say lepas tu.

This casual phrase is actually a shortened, slang version of selepas itu (after that).

Summary table of Malay conjunctions

Here’s a quick reference guide to help you remember these essential connection words.

Pay close attention to the spoken variations if your goal is to converse fluently with locals.