Exploring The Many Ways To Greet In Brunei

Brunei, officially known as Brunei Darussalam, is a small but wealthy sultanate located in Southeast Asia. With a population of just under half a million, it is situated on the northern coast of the island of Borneo, bordering the South China Sea and surrounded by Malaysia. Brunei has a long history and was once a powerful sultanate that controlled much of Borneo and the southern Philippines. Today, it is known for its rich cultural heritage, beautiful mosques, and prosperity due to its natural resources.

How to greet people in Brunei

Greeting people in Brunei is dependent on their ethnic origin, gender, and age. The standard greeting in Brunei is "Selamat", which means ""peace" in Malay and Bahasa Indonesia.

Greeting Men

Men in Brunei have generally adopted the Western concept of shaking hands. However, this is not always the case with older men, who may prefer a simple nod or bow of acknowledgment. When shaking hands, Bruneian men often raise their hands to their heart after shaking hands. A short, firm handshake with the right hand is appropriate, although the Chinese handshake may be lighter and longer.

Greeting Women

When greeting women, it is best to let the local woman initiate the handshake. This is because it is taboo for Malays and religiously-observant Muslims to touch people of the opposite gender. If a handshake is offered, it will be a gentle handshake. If not, a gentle nod or bow of acknowledgment will suffice.

Greeting Elders

It is considered respectful to bow your head when greeting someone who is senior to you in age or position. It is considered disrespectful to stare into the eyes of someone who is senior to you in age or status.

Greeting with Language

When greeting in the local language, it is common to greet people differently at different times of the day. In the mornings, you would say 'selamat pagi' (good morning). In the afternoons, you would say 'selamat petang' (good afternoon). In the evenings, you would say 'selamat malam' (good evening).

'Apa kabar' is used in formal settings to ask someone how they are, whereas 'apa abarnya' is used informally. 'Makan sudah' is also a common greeting, which is the equivalent of asking "have you eaten?".

If you are greeting another Muslim, 'assalamualaikum' is a respectful greeting, meaning 'peace be upon you'. The response to this is 'mualaikumsalam', meaning 'peace also be with you'.

Brunei's national dish

Ambuyat is prepared using the interior trunk of the sago palm tree, which gives it a blend of water and white solids. The powdery substance extracted from the trunk is mixed with hot water to form a gelatinous texture. The result is a glue-like substance that can be challenging to handle for newcomers. It is traditionally consumed using chopsticks or fingers, rolled into small balls, and then dipped into various sauces.

Bruneians and Malaysians often enjoy ambuyat with an array of dishes, including shrimp paste (cacah), tempoyak (fermented durian), prawns, and dried shrimp. The neutral taste of ambuyat complements the flavorful side dishes and sauces. One popular dipping sauce is linut, made from pounded chillies, shrimp paste, and other spices. Another sauce, belutak, is made with chilli pepper and dried shrimp, adding a tangy kick to the dish.

Ambuyat is not just a culinary delight but also a reflection of Brunei's cultural heritage. It is often enjoyed during festive occasions, family gatherings, and special celebrations, underscoring the importance of togetherness in Bruneian culture.

While ambuyat is considered Brunei's national dish, the country also has many other delicious and unique foods worth trying, such as nasi katok (knock rice), bamboo chicken, and wajid Temburong.

Brunei's official language

The Latin alphabet (Rumi) and the Arabic alphabet (Jawi) are used to write Standard Malay. Malay was written in Jawi script before switching to the Latin alphabet around 1941.

The variety of Malay that functions as the national language is not specified in the Constitution, but it is generally assumed to be a variety of Standard Malay that is similar to the standard varieties promoted in Malaysia and Indonesia. However, the pronunciation of Standard Bruneian Malay shares more phonetic features with Indonesian than Malaysian. For example, rhoticity (i.e. [r] at the end of words such as "besar" meaning "big") and a lack of final schwa (i.e. [a] rather than [ə]) at the end of words such as "saya" ("I") and "utara" ("north").

In Brunei, the use of Standard Malay and Brunei Malay can be described under the concept of diglossia, with Standard Malay taking the high role and being used in formal domains such as teaching and official speeches, while Brunei Malay functions in a low role and is used in informal domains such as conversations between friends and in local shops.

Brunei Malay, the local dialect, is the most widely spoken language in the country, with about 266,000 speakers. It is quite divergent from Standard Malay, with only about 84% of its words being cognate with Standard Malay. However, it is mostly mutually intelligible with Standard Malay. Brunei Malay is also spoken as a lingua franca in some parts of East Malaysia, and its use is expanding at the expense of other indigenous minority languages in Brunei, which are mostly under threat of extinction.

Brunei's population

Brunei, officially Brunei Darussalam, is a small country with a population of around 460,000 people as of 2024. It is located on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia and is the only sovereign state entirely on the island. The country is surrounded by the Malaysian state of Sarawak, with its territory divided into two parts by the Sarawak district of Limbang.

Brunei has a total land area of 5,270 square kilometres (or 5,765 square kilometres, according to another source), making it the 172nd largest country in terms of size. Despite its small size, Brunei has a relatively high population density of 88 people per square kilometre. This is because the majority of its population lives in the larger western part of the country, which includes the districts of Belait, Tutong, and Brunei-Muara.

The capital and largest city, Bandar Seri Begawan, is located in the Brunei-Muara district and is home to around 180,000 to 200,000 people. Other major towns include the port town of Muara, the oil-producing town of Seria, and its neighbouring town, Kuala Belait.

The population of Brunei is growing steadily, with a net migration rate of around two-thirds of the population being Malay. The country also has a relatively young population, with over half under the age of 30 and a median age of 32.2 years. The birth rate is around the global average, while the death rate is among the lowest in the world due to the youthful population.

In terms of religion, Islam is the official religion and is practised by more than 66% of the population. Other faiths include Buddhism, Christianity, and indigenous religions. The culture and laws of Brunei are heavily influenced by Islam, and it is considered more conservative than its neighbouring countries, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Brunei's location

Brunei, officially known as Brunei Darussalam, is a small country in Southeast Asia, situated on the northern coast of the island of Borneo. It is bordered by the South China Sea to the north and by the East Malaysian state of Sarawak to the east, west, and south. Sarawak, a state of Malaysia, completely surrounds Brunei, except for its coastline on the South China Sea. Brunei is the only sovereign state located entirely on Borneo Island.

Brunei is divided into two unconnected parts, with a total area of 5,765 square kilometres (2,226 sq mi). The larger western segment, where about 97% of the population resides, is home to the capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan and makes up three of the country's four districts: Belait, Tutong, and Brunei-Muara. The smaller eastern segment, the Temburong District, is mountainous and home to only about 10,000 people.

Brunei has a coastline of 161 kilometres (100 mi) along the South China Sea and a 381-kilometre (237-mi) border with Malaysia. It also has 500 square kilometres (193 sq mi) of territorial waters and a 200-nautical-mile (370 km; 230 mi) exclusive economic zone.

The country's landscape consists of a narrow coastal plain in the north, which gives way to rugged hills in the south. Pagon Peak, the country's highest point at 6,070 feet (1,850 metres), is located in the southeast. Several rivers flow through Brunei, including the Belait, Tutong, Brunei, Pandaruan, and Temburong, all flowing northward to the South China Sea. The Belait River is the largest in the country.

Brunei has a tropical equatorial climate influenced by the equatorial monsoon winds. The northeast monsoon typically blows from December to March, while the southwest monsoon blows from May to September, with April, October, and November serving as transitional months. Temperatures are warm year-round, ranging from the mid-70s to about 90 °F (23-32 °C). Annual precipitation varies from 115 inches (2,900 mm) in coastal areas to over 150 inches (3,800 mm) inland.

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