Sebaiknya kita pergi sekarang.

Sebaiknya means something like it would be best, it’s better to, or should in a gentle, advisory sense.

So Sebaiknya kita pergi sekarang means:

• We should go now
• It would be best for us to go now

It is softer than a strong command. It sounds like advice or a recommendation, not an order.

Putting sebaiknya at the beginning makes the recommendation the main focus.

Structure:

• Sebaiknya = ideally / it would be best
• kita = we
• pergi = go
• sekarang = now

Malay often allows this kind of word order naturally. Starting with sebaiknya is very common when giving advice.

This is a very important Malay distinction:

• kita = we, including the person being spoken to
• kami = we, excluding the person being spoken to

So kita in this sentence means:

• you and I should go now
• or all of us should go now

If the speaker said Sebaiknya kami pergi sekarang, that would mean we should go now, but not including you.

No. In Malay, verbs do not need to before them.

So:

• pergi = go
• kita pergi = we go

After sebaiknya, the verb can come directly:

• Sebaiknya kita pergi sekarang = We should go now

Yes, sometimes Malay allows some flexibility, but Sebaiknya kita pergi sekarang is the most natural and straightforward version.

You may also see:

• Sebaiknya sekarang kita pergi — possible, but less neutral and more marked
• Kita sebaiknya pergi sekarang — also natural, with slightly different emphasis

The original sentence is a very standard way to say it.

It is neutral and polite. It works in both spoken and written Malay.

• In conversation, it sounds natural.
• In writing, it is also perfectly fine.

If you wanted something more casual in speech, people might also say:

• Baik kita pergi sekarang
• Lebih baik kita pergi sekarang

But sebaiknya is very common and slightly more polished.

No, sebaiknya is not a verb. It functions more like an adverb or sentence-level expression of recommendation.

It comments on the whole action:

• sebaiknya = it would be best / ideally / should

The main verb in the sentence is:

• pergi = go

You can roughly break it down like this:

• sebaiknya = best / preferably / should
• kita = we
• pergi = go
• sekarang = now

But the most natural English translation is not always word-for-word. A better full translation is:

• We should go now
• It would be best for us to go now

So it is better to understand the sentence as a whole, not just word by word.

No, it is not a direct command. It sounds like a suggestion or recommendation.

Compare:

• Sebaiknya kita pergi sekarang.
  = We should go now. / It would be best to go now.

• Pergi sekarang!
  = Go now!
  This is a direct command.

So sebaiknya softens the statement.

Sometimes Malay can omit subjects if they are obvious from context, but in this sentence kita is normally kept because it clearly tells you who is included.

• Sebaiknya pergi sekarang can be understood in context, but it is less explicit.
• Sebaiknya kita pergi sekarang is clearer and more complete.

For learners, it is best to keep kita here.

A simple learner-friendly pronunciation is:

se-BAIK-nya

Roughly:

• se like suh or a short seh
• baik like bye-eek said quickly
• nya like nya in canyon without the final n sound being separate

Also:

• kita = KEE-tah
• pergi = pair-GEE or pər-GEE
• sekarang = suh-KAH-rang

Pronunciation can vary a bit by speaker and region, but this will be understood well.

Yes. Some common alternatives are:

• Kita harus pergi sekarang.
  We must / have to go now.
  Stronger than sebaiknya.

• Kita patut pergi sekarang.
  We ought to go now.
  Similar idea, a bit formal or careful.

• Lebih baik kita pergi sekarang.
  It’s better if we go now.
  Very common and natural.

• Baik kita pergi sekarang.
  Better that we go now.
  Also possible, depending on style and region.

Among these, Sebaiknya kita pergi sekarang sounds like a polite recommendation.