Dia menghantar salam.

Dia can mean he or she. Malay does not usually mark gender in third-person singular pronouns the way English does.

So Dia menghantar salam could mean:

• He sends greetings
• She sends greetings
• He/She sent regards

You only know which one is meant from context.

Hantar is the basic root word, meaning send or deliver.

Menghantar is the verb form made with the meN- prefix, which is very common in Malay for active verbs. In this case:

• hantar = send, deliver
• menghantar = to send / sends / is sending

So in a normal sentence with a subject doing the action, menghantar is the expected form.

In this sentence, salam means greetings, regards, or a polite greeting sent to someone.

So menghantar salam is like saying:

• send greetings
• send regards
• pass on regards

It does not have to mean a physical greeting in person. It often means someone is asking that their greetings be conveyed to another person.

Yes. This sentence uses the very common Subject + Verb + Object order:

• Dia = subject
• menghantar = verb
• salam = object

So it works much like English:

• He/She sends greetings

This makes the sentence quite straightforward for English speakers.

Malay verbs do not usually change form for tense the way English verbs do.

So menghantar by itself does not tell you whether the action is present, past, or future. The exact time comes from context or from time words.

Depending on context, Dia menghantar salam could mean:

• He/She sends greetings
• He/She is sending greetings
• He/She sent greetings

If Malay needs to make time clearer, it often adds words such as:

• sudah = already
• sedang = currently
• akan = will

For example:

• Dia sudah menghantar salam. = He/She has sent greetings.

Malay often leaves out things that English would normally include, such as articles and some possessives.

So English might say:

• his regards
• her greetings
• some greetings

But Malay can simply say:

• salam

If needed, Malay can be more specific:

• salamnya = his/her greeting(s) in some contexts
• salam kepada anda = greetings to you

But in many natural sentences, just salam is enough.

Yes, it is understandable and natural. It means someone is sending greetings or regards.

However, depending on situation, Malay speakers may also use other expressions, such as:

• kirim salam = send regards
• sampaikan salam = pass on greetings

So menghantar salam is fine, but learners should know that there are several common ways to express this idea.

Usually, dia is the normal choice in everyday Malay for he/she.

Ia also exists, but it is more formal, more literary, and often less common in casual speech. Also, ia is typically not used for people in the same easy, everyday way that dia is.

So for most learners and most normal conversation:

• Dia menghantar salam. is the better choice.

You can add a phrase with kepada or sometimes pada.

For example:

• Dia menghantar salam kepada saya. = He/She sends greetings to me.
• Dia menghantar salam kepada keluarga saya. = He/She sends greetings to my family.

In many cases, the recipient is omitted if it is already understood from context.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

• menghantar ≈ muhng-HAN-tar

A few useful points:

• me- is usually a light muh/meh sound
• ng is like the sound in sing
• stress is often felt around han

You do not need to pronounce every letter the way English would. The important part is to keep ngh smooth rather than breaking it awkwardly.

Sometimes, yes. Salam can simply mean greetings, but in Malay-speaking contexts it can also carry a polite or culturally familiar tone, especially in Muslim settings, where salam may connect with expressions of peace or formal greeting.

In this sentence, though, the safest basic understanding is simply:

• greetings
• regards

So a learner should first understand the everyday meaning, and then notice cultural nuance from context.