Learn Hardcore Malay: Kami menyimpan buah dan sayur dalam peti sejuk, manakala fail kerja disusun di rak tinggi. - We store fruits and vegetables in the fridge, whereas work files are arranged on a tall shelf.

Manakala translates to "while" or "whereas" in English. It is used as a conjunction to highlight a contrast between the two parts of the sentence—the storage of fruits and vegetables versus the arrangement of work files.

Why is dalam used with peti sejuk while di is used with rak tinggi?

In Malay, dalam means "inside", which indicates that something is stored within an enclosure—in this case, fruits and vegetables inside the refrigerator. On the other hand, di is used to denote a location or position on a surface, which fits with the idea of arranging the work files on a high shelf.

What is the role of menyimpan in this sentence?

The verb menyimpan means "to store" or "to keep" and is used actively here with kami (we). It shows that the subjects are performing the action of storing the fruits and vegetables.

Why is the passive form disusun used for fail kerja instead of an active construction?

The passive form disusun (from the active verb menyusun, meaning "to arrange") is used to emphasize the resulting state of the work files—they are arranged on a high shelf. This choice also omits the agent (the person arranging the files), which is common when the doer is either unknown or not important for the context.

Why are plural nouns like buah (fruit) and sayur (vegetables) not explicitly marked for plurality in Malay?

In Malay, it is common to use the same noun form for both singular and plural when the context makes it clear that multiple items are being referred to. Therefore, buah and sayur can represent both singular and plural meanings without any additional plural markers.