Semakin rendah voltan, semakin malap lampu.

It is a very common Malay pattern meaning the more ... the more ... or the ...er ..., the ...er ....

So:

• Semakin rendah voltan = the lower the voltage
• semakin malap lampu = the dimmer the lamp

You can use this pattern with many adjectives:

• Semakin mahal, semakin sukar dijual. = The more expensive it is, the harder it is to sell.
• Semakin tua, semakin bijak. = The older one gets, the wiser one becomes.

Because Malay does not use the in this structure the way English does.

In English, the lower ..., the dimmer ... is a special comparative pattern, but the word the here is not really the normal article. Malay expresses this idea with semakin ... semakin ... instead.

So the English pattern:

• the lower X, the dimmer Y

becomes in Malay:

• semakin rendah X, semakin malap Y

Malay often leaves out a verb that English would need.

English wants something like:

• the lamp becomes dimmer
• the lamp gets dimmer

Malay can simply say:

• lampu semakin malap

with no separate word for becomes.

If you want to be more explicit, you could say:

• lampu menjadi semakin malap

But in normal Malay, leaving out menjadi is very common and natural.

Rendah means low.

So voltan rendah means low voltage.

This is the normal adjective to use for things measured on a scale like height, level, amount, pressure, or voltage. In this sentence, it refers to the voltage level being lower.

Related contrast:

• tinggi = high
• rendah = low

So:

• voltan tinggi = high voltage
• voltan rendah = low voltage

Malap means dim, faint, or not bright.

For a lamp, it means the light is weak rather than strong.

Some useful comparisons:

• terang = bright
• malap = dim
• gelap = dark

So lampu malap is a dim lamp or the lamp is dim.

In this sentence, semakin malap means getting dimmer or becoming more dim.

That is a very good question.

Yes, in a simple noun phrase, Malay usually puts the adjective after the noun:

• lampu malap = a dim lamp

But in this sentence, semakin malap lampu is not just a noun phrase. It is functioning more like a clause meaning the lamp becomes dimmer.

A more explicit version would be:

• Semakin rendah voltan, lampu semakin malap.

That version may feel clearer to learners because the subject lampu comes first in the second clause.

So:

• lampu malap = noun + adjective phrase
• lampu semakin malap = the lamp gets dimmer
• semakin malap lampu = a compressed, balanced version used in this kind of pattern

The original sentence is natural, but as a learner, you can safely use lampu semakin malap if that feels easier.

By itself, lampu does not tell you that clearly. Malay often leaves number and article unstated unless context makes it necessary.

So lampu can mean:

• a lamp
• the lamp
• lamps
• the lamps

In this sentence, the meaning is general: when voltage goes down, the lamp/light becomes dimmer. English usually chooses the lamp to make the sentence sound natural, but Malay does not need to mark that.

If you wanted to be more specific, you could say:

• lampu itu = that lamp / the lamp
• lampu-lampu = lamps

Because semakin and lebih do different jobs.

• lebih = more / a direct comparison between two things
• semakin = increasingly, or a change that continues along a scale

Examples:

• Lampu ini lebih malap daripada lampu itu. = This lamp is dimmer than that lamp.
• Lampu semakin malap. = The lamp is getting dimmer.

In your sentence, the idea is not just comparing two fixed things. It is showing a relationship:

• as voltage decreases, brightness decreases too

That is why semakin ... semakin ... is the right pattern.

Yes. That is a very natural alternative, and many learners may find it easier to understand.

Compare:

• Semakin rendah voltan, semakin malap lampu.
• Semakin rendah voltan, lampu semakin malap.

Both express the same basic idea.

The original version sounds neat and balanced because both halves begin with semakin. The version with lampu semakin malap is a little more straightforward for learners.

A simple pronunciation guide is:

Semakin rendah voltan, semakin malap lampu
seh-MAH-kin REND-ah vol-TAHN, seh-MAH-kin MAH-lap LAHM-poo

A few notes:

• e in semakin is like a soft uh sound
• rendah ends with an -ah sound
• voltan is pronounced much like English vol-tahn
• lampu is lahm-poo, not lam-pyoo

The stress in Malay is usually not as strong or dramatic as in English, so try to keep it fairly even and smooth.