Learn Hardcore Malay: Petang ini, saya tanya guru tentang sejarah. - This afternoon, I ask the teacher about history.

It means this afternoon. In Malay, petang refers to the afternoon (or early evening) and ini means “this,” so together they specify when the action took place.

How is verb tense indicated in this sentence?

Malay verbs do not change their form based on tense. Instead, time is indicated through adverbial phrases like Petang ini. Thus, although tanya is in its base form, the context tells us the action occurred this afternoon.

What does saya mean in this sentence?

Saya translates to I. It is the first-person singular pronoun used in both formal and everyday Malay.

What does the verb tanya mean, and why doesn’t it change form?

Tanya means to ask. In Malay, verbs remain in their base form regardless of whether the action is past, present, or future. The time of the action is instead clarified by accompanying phrases like Petang ini.

What is the meaning of guru?

Guru means teacher. In the sentence, it identifies the person to whom the speaker asked a question.

How is the preposition tentang used here?

Tentang means about. It links the verb tanya to the topic being asked about, which in this case is sejarah.

What does sejarah refer to?

Sejarah translates to history. It is the subject matter that the speaker discussed with the teacher.

How is the sentence structured in terms of word order and context?

The sentence follows a clear structure: it begins with the time indicator Petang ini (this afternoon), followed by the subject saya (I), then the verb tanya (asked), the object guru (teacher), and ends with the prepositional phrase tentang sejarah (about history). This S-V-O order, along with contextual time and topic phrases, is typical in Malay sentence construction.