Saya memeriksa senarai barang.

Yes, saya means I, and it is the most common neutral/polite choice.

You could use aku, but it is more casual and personal. It is usually used:

• with close friends
• in intimate situations
• in songs, literature, or emotional speech

So:

• Saya memeriksa senarai barang. = neutral / standard
• Aku memeriksa senarai barang. = more informal

For most learners, saya is the safest default.

Memeriksa comes from the base word periksa, which means check, inspect, or examine.

The prefix meN- is added to form an active verb. In this case:

• periksa → base/root
• meN- + periksa → memeriksa

So memeriksa means to check / to inspect / to examine.

This is a very common Malay pattern:

• baca → membaca
• lihat → melihat
• periksa → memeriksa

This happens because the meN- prefix changes shape depending on the first sound of the root word.

Since periksa begins with p-, the prefix becomes mem-, and the p drops:

• meN- + periksa
• becomes memeriksa

This kind of sound change is very common in Malay verb formation.

A few similar examples:

• pakai → memakai
• pilih → memilih
• periksa → memeriksa

So this is not random—it is part of a regular pattern.

No. Malay verbs usually do not change for tense the way English verbs do.

So memeriksa by itself does not tell you whether the action is:

• present
• past
• future

The time is usually understood from:

• context
• time words such as semalam (yesterday), sekarang (now), esok (tomorrow)
• aspect markers like sedang, sudah, akan

For example:

• Saya memeriksa senarai barang. = I check / I am checking / I checked, depending on context
• Saya sedang memeriksa senarai barang. = I am checking the item list
• Saya sudah memeriksa senarai barang. = I have checked / I checked the item list
• Saya akan memeriksa senarai barang. = I will check the item list

In Malay, the main noun usually comes first, and the word that describes or narrows it comes after.

So:

• senarai barang literally follows the pattern list of goods/items

The head noun is senarai (list), and barang tells you what kind of list it is.

This is very natural in Malay:

• buku teks = textbook
• kedai buku = bookstore
• senarai nama = name list
• senarai barang = item list / list of goods

So compared with English, Malay often puts this kind of modifier after the noun.

Barang can refer to item, thing, goods, or stuff, and in many contexts it does not clearly mark singular vs plural.

So senarai barang is naturally understood as:

• a list of items
• a goods list
• an item list

If you really want to make plurality explicit, Malay can use repetition:

• barang-barang = items / things

But in many real sentences, Malay does not need that.
So senarai barang already sounds normal and natural.

Malay usually does not use articles like a, an, or the.

So:

• senarai barang could mean an item list, the item list, or just item list
• the exact meaning depends on context

This is very normal in Malay. Learners often expect a separate word for the, but usually there isn't one.

If needed, Malay can show specificity in other ways, for example:

• context
• demonstratives like ini (this) and itu (that)

Examples:

• senarai barang ini = this item list
• senarai barang itu = that item list

Yes, this sentence uses the very common Malay word order:

• Subject + Verb + Object
• Saya
  • memeriksa
    • senarai barang

That is one reason this sentence feels fairly straightforward for English speakers.

However, Malay is still different from English in other ways, such as:

• no verb tense changes
• no articles
• noun modifiers often come after the noun

So the overall structure may look familiar, even though the grammar works differently underneath.

Yes, absolutely.

Adding sedang shows that the action is in progress right now:

• Saya memeriksa senarai barang. = I check / I am checking / I checked, depending on context
• Saya sedang memeriksa senarai barang. = I am checking the item list

So if you want to be more specifically like English am checking, sedang is very useful.

There are other possible verbs, depending on nuance.

For example:

• memeriksa = inspect, examine, check carefully
• menyemak = check, review, verify
• cek = check (borrowed/informal, common in speech)

So you might also hear:

• Saya menyemak senarai barang.
• Saya cek senarai barang. (more informal/colloquial)

If you want a good standard-form choice, memeriksa is perfectly fine.

A simple learner-friendly breakdown is:

• me-me-rik-sa

The stress in Malay is usually not as strong or dramatic as in English, but many learners naturally say it roughly like:

• meh-meh-RIK-sa

Also:

• saya sounds roughly like SAH-yuh or sigh-yuh, depending on accent
• senarai sounds roughly like seh-nah-rai
• barang sounds roughly like bah-rang

Pronunciation can vary a little by region and speaking style, but those approximations are a good start.