The purpose of this list is to give a rough idea of the Malagasy language. The words listed below are not the most common words, but a broad sampling of words. See the Word Lists page for more details.
| English | Malagasy |
| I | aho |
| you (singular) | ianao |
| he | izy |
| we | isika *(inclusive)*, izahay *(exclusive)* |
| you (plural) | ianareo |
| they | izy, izy ireo, ry zareo |
| this | ity |
| that | izany |
| here | eto |
| there | ao |
| who | iza *(interrogative)* |
| what | inona *(interrogative)* |
| where | aiza *(interrogative)* |
| when | oviana *(interrogative, past)*, rahoviana *(interrogative, future)* |
| how | ahoana, manahoana *(interrogative)* |
| not | tsy |
| all | ny … rehetra |
| many | betsaka |
| some | vitsivitsy |
| few | kely |
| other | hafa |
| one | iray |
| two | roa |
| three | telo |
| four | efatra |
| five | dimy |
| big | lehibe |
| long | lava |
| wide | malalaka |
| thick | matevina |
| heavy | mavesatra |
| small | kely |
| short | fohy |
| narrow | tery |
| thin | manify, mahia |
| woman | vehivavy |
| man (adult male) | lehilahy |
| man (human being) | olombelona |
| child | zaza |
| wife | vady |
| husband | vady |
| mother | reny |
| father | ray |
| animal | biby |
| fish | trondro, hazan-drano |
| bird | vorona |
| dog | alika, amboa |
| louse | hao |
| snake | bibilava |
| worm | kankana |
| tree | hazo |
| forest | ala |
| stick | kibay, tehina |
| fruit | voankazo |
| seed | voa |
| leaf | ravina |
| root | faka, fototra |
| bark (of a tree) | hodi-kazo |
| flower | voninkazo |
| grass | ahitra, bozaka |
| rope | tady |
| skin | hoditra |
| meat | hena |
| blood | ra |
| bone | taolana |
| fat (noun) | taviny |
| egg | atody |
| horn | tandroka |
| tail | rambo |
| feather | penina, volom-borona |
| hair | bolo |
| head | loha |
| ear | sofina |
| eye | maso |
| nose | orona |
| mouth | vava |
| tooth | nify |
| tongue (organ) | lela |
| fingernail | hoho |
| foot | tongotra |
| leg | ranjo |
| knee | lohalika |
| hand | tanana |
| wing | elatra |
| belly | kibo |
| guts | tsinay |
| neck | vozona, tenda |
| back | lamosina |
| breast | tratra |
| heart | fo |
| liver | aty |
| to drink | misotro |
| to eat | mihinana |
| to bite | manaikitra |
| to suck | mifiaka |
| to spit | mandrehoka |
| to vomit | mandoa |
| to blow | mitsoka |
| to breathe | miaina, misefo |
| to laugh | hehy, tokelaka |
| to see | mahita |
| to hear | maheno |
| to know | mahafantatra |
| to think | mieritreritra |
| to smell | manambolo |
| to fear | matahotra, manahy |
| to sleep | matory |
| to live | velona |
| to die | nodimandry, maty |
| to kill | mamono, mahafaty |
| to fight | miady |
| to hunt | mihaza |
| to hit | mikapoka |
| to cut | mandidy |
| to split | mamaky |
| to stab | manatsatoka antsy |
| to scratch | mikiky, mikaoka |
| to dig | mihady, mandavaka |
| to swim | milomano |
| to fly | manidina |
| to walk | mandeha |
| to come | avy, tonga, tamy |
| to lie (as in a bed) | mivelatra *(action)* |
| to sit | mipetraka *(action)* |
| to stand | mifoha, mitsangana *(action)* |
| to turn (intransitive) | mihodina |
| to fall | mianjera |
| to give | manome |
| to hold | mitantana |
| to squeeze | mandray |
| to rub | manakasoka |
| to wash | manasa |
| to wipe | mamafa |
| to pull | mitifitra |
| to push | manosika |
| to throw | manoraka |
| to tie | mamehy, mamatotra |
| to sew | manjaitra |
| to count | manisa |
| to say | milaza, miteny |
| to sing | mihira, mikalo |
| to play | milalao |
| to float | mitsinkafona |
| to flow | mikoriana |
| to freeze | mandry |
| to swell | mibontsina |
| sun | masoandro |
| moon | volana |
| star | kintana |
| water | rano |
| rain | orana |
| river | renirano |
| lake | kamory, farihy |
| sea | ranomasina, riaka |
| salt | sira |
| stone | vato |
| sand | fasika |
| dust | vovoka |
| earth | tany |
| cloud | rahona |
| fog | zavona |
| sky | lanitra |
| wind | rivotra |
| snow | ranomandry, lanezy |
| ice | rano mandry |
| smoke | setroka |
| fire | afo |
| ash | lavenona |
| to burn | may |
| road | lalana |
| mountain | tondrombohitra |
| red | mena |
| green | maitso |
| yellow | mavo |
| white | fotsy |
| black | mainty |
| night | alina |
| day | andro |
| year | taona |
| warm | mafana |
| cold | mangatsiaka |
| full | feno |
| new | vaovao |
| old | antitra, tonta |
| good | tsara |
| bad | ratsy |
| rotten | bobongolo *(mouldy)* |
| dirty | maloto |
| straight | mahitsy |
| round | boribory |
| sharp (as a knife) | maranitra |
| dull (as a knife) | dombo |
| smooth | malama |
| wet | mando |
| dry | maina |
| correct | mendrika |
| near | akaiky |
| far | lavitra |
| right | havanana |