Kami berteduh di bawah pokok.

In Malay, kami means we, but it is exclusive: it does not include the person being spoken to.

So Kami berteduh di bawah pokok means We took shelter under a tree, where we does not include you.

By contrast, kita is inclusive: it includes the listener.
So Kita berteduh di bawah pokok would mean We (including you) took shelter under a tree.

Berteduh means to take shelter, usually from sun or rain. It often suggests standing or staying somewhere protected, such as under a tree, a roof, or a shelter.

The root idea is teduh, which relates to shade or shelter. The prefix ber- often forms an intransitive verb, so berteduh means something like to be sheltering / to take shelter.

In this sentence, it naturally means to take shelter under a tree.

The prefix ber- is a very common Malay verb-forming prefix. It often creates verbs that describe:

• having something
• wearing something
• doing an action
• being in a certain state

In berteduh, ber- turns the base idea teduh into a verb meaning to shelter oneself / take shelter.

For learners, it is often best to learn berteduh as a whole word, while also noticing that ber- is a common pattern in Malay verbs.

Di bawah means under or below.

It is written as two words because di here is a preposition, not a verb prefix. In Malay:

• di bawah = under
• di rumah = at home
• di sekolah = at school

When di is a preposition meaning in / at / on / under and showing location, it is written separately from the following word.

This is different from di- as a passive verb prefix, which is written together with the verb, for example:

• ditulis = written
• dibuka = opened

So in di bawah pokok, di bawah is simply the location phrase under the tree / under a tree.

Malay does not normally use articles like a, an, or the the way English does.

So pokok can mean:

• a tree
• the tree
• sometimes just tree/trees, depending on context

The exact meaning depends on the situation. In an isolated sentence like Kami berteduh di bawah pokok, English usually translates it as under a tree or under the tree, depending on context.

This is very normal in Malay.

In this sentence, pokok means tree.

More broadly, pokok can also appear in other meanings depending on context, such as:

• pokok bunga = plant / flowering plant
• idea pokok = main idea
• masalah pokok = main/basic problem

But when you see di bawah pokok, the meaning is very naturally under a tree.

The sentence follows a very common Malay pattern:

Subject + Verb + Location

So here:

• Kami = subject
• berteduh = verb
• di bawah pokok = location phrase

This is similar to English word order in many simple sentences:

• We rested at home
• We waited at the station
• We took shelter under a tree

So the structure is quite straightforward for English speakers.

Yes, it often can be omitted if the context already makes it clear who is being talked about.

For example:

• Berteduh di bawah pokok.

This could mean (We/they/I) took shelter under a tree, depending on context.

Malay often drops subjects when they are understood. However, in a standalone teaching sentence, kami is included to make the meaning clear.

More or less, yes, if you break it down very literally:

• di = at/in
• bawah = below/under
• pokok = tree

But natural English translation is simply under a tree or under the tree.

Learners should be careful not to translate too word-for-word. The whole phrase di bawah functions naturally as under.

Normally, no. The natural standard form is di bawah pokok.

The preposition di is needed here to mark location. Without it, the phrase sounds incomplete or nonstandard in normal Malay.

So the correct sentence is:

Kami berteduh di bawah pokok.

Berteduh is a normal and common word. It is not overly formal. People use it in everyday situations, especially when talking about shelter from heat or rain.

For example:

• Mari berteduh dulu. = Let’s take shelter first.
• Mereka berteduh daripada hujan. = They took shelter from the rain.

So it is a useful everyday verb to know.

Yes. Berteduh can be used for both.

Because the sentence only says Kami berteduh di bawah pokok, it does not specify whether the shelter is from:

• the sun
• the rain
• strong heat

The context would tell you which is meant. Under a tree, both sun and rain are possible interpretations, though shade from the sun is especially natural.

Malay verbs do not change form the way English verbs do. Berteduh stays the same. Time is usually shown by context or by time words.

For example:

• Kami sedang berteduh di bawah pokok. = We are taking shelter under a tree.
• Kami sudah berteduh di bawah pokok. = We have already taken shelter under a tree.
• Kami akan berteduh di bawah pokok. = We will take shelter under a tree.

So the basic sentence without a time marker can often be understood as present or past depending on context.

In principle, Malay nouns do not have to change form for plural, so pokok could sometimes be understood from context as trees. However, in this sentence, di bawah pokok most naturally suggests under a tree.

If you clearly wanted to say under the trees or under some trees, Malay would usually make that clearer through context or wording, such as:

• di bawah pokok-pokok
• di bawah beberapa pokok

So in this sentence, singular is the most natural reading.