Order at a hawker stall
Nak, satu, bungkus — three words carry the whole order.
The one line to remember
Nak nasi lemak satu, bungkus.
One nasi lemak, to go.
You don’t need a full sentence at a stall. Uncle wants three things: what, how many, and here or takeaway. Everything else is manners.
The pattern is nak + dish + number, then makan sini or bungkus. Say it in that order and you’re done.
How it sounds
You and Uncle
Read it, then hide the English and play it through. Tap a bubble for the word map.
Lunch rush at a nasi lemak stall in a hawker centre.
Malay
Nak apa?
English
What would you like?
Note
Nak is the spoken short form of hendak (to want). You’ll hear it far more than mahu.
Malay
Nak nasi lemak satu, bungkus.
English
One nasi lemak, to go.
Malay
Pedas tak?
English
Spicy or not?
Note
Tak at the end turns anything into a yes/no question. Pedas tak? Sedap tak? Boleh tak?
Malay
Pedas sikit je.
English
Just a little spicy.
Malay
Nak telur mata?
English
Want a fried egg?
Malay
Boleh. Tambah telur satu.
English
Sure. Add one egg.
Malay
Lima setengah.
English
Five fifty.
Note
Prices come clipped. Lima setengah = five and a half = $5.50. Nobody says dolar at a stall.
Malay
Okay, terima kasih uncle.
English
Okay, thanks uncle.
Note
Uncle and Auntie are how Singapore addresses any stall owner older than you. Keep them in English.
Lines to keep
Pocket these
The ones worth saying out loud on the way there.
- casual
Nak makan sini.
Eating here.
Say it right after the dish if you’re not taking away.
- casual
Boleh bungkus?
Can I take away?
- casual
Kurang pedas sikit.
A bit less spicy.
- casual
Tak nak sambal.
No sambal.
Tak nak = don’t want. Blunt, but completely normal at a stall.
- casual
Tambah nasi boleh?
Can I get extra rice?
- neutral
Berapa semua?
How much altogether?
Swap the dish
Nak ___ satu, bungkus.
- mee goreng · fried noodles
- nasi ayam · chicken rice
- roti prata · prata
- mee rebus · noodles in gravy
- teh tarik · pulled tea
Watch out
Three things to know
The small things that give a beginner away.
Bungkus, not take away
Bungkus literally means wrap. It’s the word everyone uses for takeaway in Singapore and Malaysia. Saying take away in English works too, but bungkus gets a smile.
The number goes after the dish
English says one nasi lemak. Malay puts the count after: nasi lemak satu. Same with tambah telur satu.
Drop the pronoun
Nobody says saya nak at a stall. Start with nak. The shorter it is, the more local it sounds.
Quick check
Three questions
No account, no score kept. Just see if it stuck.
Question 1
You want two plates of mee goreng to eat in. What do you say?
Question 2
Uncle asks Pedas tak? You don’t want it spicy at all.
Question 3
What does Lima setengah mean?
Try it with Aiman
Reading is the easy part. Now say it.
You’re at a chicken rice stall and the uncle asks what you want. Order for two people, one of them takeaway.
Paste this as your first message. Aiman sets the scene, replies in Malay, and keeps English on the side.