Why Direct Translation Fails
Every Malaysian student thinks in Bahasa Melayu (or Mandarin) before writing in English. That’s normal. The problem comes when you translate word-for-word — Malay and English have different grammar structures, and what sounds correct in BM often sounds wrong in English.
The good news: the same errors repeat across thousands of students. Fix these 20 patterns and you’ll eliminate most of the mistakes SPM examiners see.
Word Order Errors
1. Adjective Position
BM pattern: noun + adjective (baju merah) English pattern: adjective + noun
| Wrong (BM order) | Correct (English order) |
|---|---|
| shirt red | red shirt |
| student clever | clever student |
| house big | big house |
2. “Yang” Constructions
BM: Pelajar yang rajin akan berjaya. Wrong: The student that hardworking will succeed. Correct: The hardworking student will succeed. / The student who is hardworking will succeed.
Verb Errors
3. Missing “Be” Verb
BM doesn’t use “be” verbs (am, is, are, was, were) the way English does.
| Wrong | Correct |
|---|---|
| She | She is happy. |
| They | They are going to school. |
| The food | The food is delicious. |
4. Double Verb / Missing Verb
BM: Saya tidak boleh pergi. (I not can go.) Wrong: I cannot to go. / I don’t can go. Correct: I cannot go. / I can’t go.
5. “Got” Overuse
In Malaysian English, “got” replaces “have,” “there is,” and “exist.” In standard English:
| Malaysian English | Standard English |
|---|---|
| Got many people. | There are many people. |
| I got two brothers. | I have two brothers. |
| Got one shop nearby. | There is a shop nearby. |
6. “Already” for Past Tense
BM: Saya sudah makan. (I already eat.) Wrong: I eat already. Correct: I have already eaten. / I already ate.
7. Tense Confusion
BM doesn’t change verb forms for tense — “saya makan” works for past, present, and future. English requires tense marking:
| Wrong | Correct |
|---|---|
| Yesterday I go to school. | Yesterday I went to school. |
| She cook every day. | She cooks every day. |
| Tomorrow we play football. | Tomorrow we will play football. |
Preposition Errors
8. “Discuss About”
BM: Berbincang tentang (discuss about) Wrong: We discussed about the problem. Correct: We discussed the problem. (“discuss” already means “talk about”)
9. “Entered Into”
BM: Masuk ke (enter into) Wrong: She entered into the room. Correct: She entered the room. (“enter” already means “go into”)
10. Wrong Preposition Choices
| Wrong (from BM) | Correct |
|---|---|
| depend to | depend on |
| marry with | marry (no preposition) |
| listen the music | listen to the music |
| interested on | interested in |
| afraid with | afraid of |
Pronoun and Article Errors
11. Missing Articles
BM has no articles (a, an, the). Students often forget them:
| Wrong | Correct |
|---|---|
| I want to be | I want to be a doctor. |
| The book is on the table. | |
| She plays | She plays the piano. |
12. Gender Confusion
BM uses “dia” for both he and she. Students sometimes mix them up in English:
Fix: Before writing, decide if the subject is male or female and be consistent throughout.
Sentence Structure Errors
13. “Because… So…” Double Connector
BM: Kerana… jadi… (Because… so…) Wrong: Because it rained, so we stayed home. Correct: Because it rained, we stayed home. OR It rained, so we stayed home.
Pick one connector, not both.
14. “Although… But…” Double Connector
BM: Walaupun… tetapi… (Although… but…) Wrong: Although she was tired, but she continued. Correct: Although she was tired, she continued. OR She was tired, but she continued.
15. “The Reason Is Because”
Wrong: The reason is because he was late. Correct: The reason is that he was late. OR He was late because of the traffic.
Vocabulary Transfer Errors
16. “Open” and “Close” Overuse
BM: Buka (open) and tutup (close) are used broadly.
| Wrong | Correct |
|---|---|
| Open the light. | Turn on the light. |
| Close the TV. | Turn off the TV. |
| Open your shoes. | Take off your shoes. |
| Close the tap. | Turn off the tap. |
17. “Follow” Misuse
BM: “Ikut” means follow, accompany, and according to.
| Wrong | Correct |
|---|---|
| Can I follow you? (meaning: accompany) | Can I come with you? / Can I join you? |
| Follow me, it’s correct. (meaning: according to) | According to me, it’s correct. |
18. “Send” Misuse
BM: “Hantar” means send, take someone somewhere, and deliver.
| Wrong | Correct |
|---|---|
| My mother send me to school. (drive) | My mother drives/takes me to school. |
| I send my friend home. (accompany) | I walk/drive my friend home. |
19. “Fetch” Misuse
BM: “Ambil” means take/fetch in a broad sense.
| Wrong | Correct |
|---|---|
| I fetch my sister from school. | I pick up my sister from school. |
20. “Borrow” vs “Lend”
BM: “Pinjam” means both borrow and lend.
| Wrong | Correct |
|---|---|
| Can you borrow me your pen? | Can you lend me your pen? |
| I want to lend a book from the library. | I want to borrow a book from the library. |
Remember: You borrow FROM someone. You lend TO someone.
How to Stop Translating
- Read more English — Build natural English patterns in your brain through exposure
- Learn phrases, not words — Don’t memorise “depend = bergantung.” Memorise “depend on.”
- Think in English — Practise describing your day in English without writing it in BM first
- Use English-English dictionaries — They teach you how words are actually used
Fix These Patterns Systematically
These translation errors are predictable — every BM-speaking student makes the same ones. At SPMEnglish.com.my, our grammar programme specifically targets BM-to-English transfer errors because we understand the Malay language patterns that cause them. WhatsApp us to fix these errors systematically.
Related Resources
- Common Grammar Mistakes — Top grammar errors and fixes
- Commonly Confused Words — Word pairs students mix up
- Prepositions Guide — Master English prepositions
- Vocabulary Building — Build natural English vocabulary