Breakdown of Jika awak mahu naik lif ke lantai tujuh, tekan tujuh.
awak
you
mahu
to want
ke
to
jika
if
tujuh
seven
naik
to take
lantai
the floor
lif
the elevator
tekan
to press
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Questions & Answers about Jika awak mahu naik lif ke lantai tujuh, tekan tujuh.
What is the difference between jika and kalau in Malay?
Both jika and kalau translate as if. Jika is more formal and often used in written instructions, official notices, or signage. Kalau is more colloquial and common in everyday conversation. In an elevator sign you might see either, but jika gives a slightly more formal tone.
What does awak mean? Is it formal or informal? Can I use anda instead?
Awak is the informal second-person pronoun for you, used among friends or people of similar age/status. Anda is the formal equivalent, used in polite or business contexts. You could replace awak with anda for a more official style:
Jika anda mahu naik lif ke lantai tujuh, tekan tujuh.
Why is naik lif used here instead of pergi lif?
In Malay, naik means to ride, to ascend, or to get on when referring to vehicles or vertical transport (e.g., naik kereta, naik bas, naik tangga, naik lif). Pergi just means to go in general. Saying naik lif emphasizes boarding and riding the elevator.
What is lif? It looks like an English word.
Lif is a loanword from English lift and means elevator. The standard Malay spelling is lif. You might still see elevator in informal contexts, but lif is the official term.
Why do we say ke lantai tujuh and not lantai tujuh ke?
Malay uses the preposition ke before the destination. Ke means to/towards, so ke lantai tujuh means to the seventh floor. The order is always ke + destination.
Why is the command tekan tujuh used without sila (please)?
Malay imperatives can be stated directly (verb + object). On signage or buttons, brevity is key, so you see just tekan tujuh (press seven). If you wanted to soften it, you could add sila at the start: Sila tekan tujuh.
Why is the number after lantai (floor) rather than before it?
In Malay, modifiers—whether adjectives or numbers—follow the noun. Lantai tujuh is floor seven (the seventh floor). Tujuh lantai would mean seven floors in total, not the seventh floor.
Can mahu be replaced with nak or ingin?
Yes. Mahu and ingin are fairly formal words for want. Nak is the colloquial form of hendak and very common in spoken Malay. All three work:
- Jika awak ingin naik lif…
- Jika awak nak naik lif…