Learn Hardcore Malay: Tolong sapa ibu awak sebelum keluar rumah. - Please greet your mother before leaving the house.

Tolong is used as a polite request marker—much like saying please in English. It softens the command, indicating that the speaker is making a courteous appeal.

How is the imperative command structured in this sentence, especially regarding the verb sapa?

The command is formed by using the base form of the verb, sapa (meaning greet), without adding any subject pronoun. In Malay, imperatives often employ the plain verb form, and the subject (you) is understood from context.

How does the phrase ibu awak indicate possession?

In Malay, possession is typically shown by placing the possessor after the noun. Here, ibu means mother and awak means you (in an informal context), so ibu awak naturally translates to your mother without the need for an explicit possessive marker.

What is the meaning and function of the clause sebelum keluar rumah in the sentence?

The clause sebelum keluar rumah translates to before leaving the house. Sebelum is a preposition indicating time (meaning before), while keluar rumah describes the action (with keluar meaning leave and rumah meaning house). This clause sets a condition regarding the timing of the greeting.

Why are verbs like sapa and keluar not altered for tense as they would be in English?

Malay verbs do not change form to express tense; they remain in the same base form regardless of time. Instead, temporal information is conveyed through context or by using specific time markers (such as sebelum in this sentence). This analytic structure simplifies verb conjugation compared to English.