Learn Hardcore Malay: Bilik pejabat itu kemas dengan dinding hiasan. - That office room is neat with decorative walls.

Itu is a demonstrative pronoun that translates to that in this context. It specifies which office room is being discussed, implying that it is already known or mentioned previously.

How does adjective placement in this Malay sentence compare to English?

In Malay, adjectives typically follow the noun they modify. For example, in dinding hiasan, the adjective hiasan comes after dinding to describe it as decorative. Similarly, kemas follows the subject to serve as a predicate adjective meaning neat or tidy. This contrasts with English, where adjectives generally come before the noun.

What role does dengan play in the sentence?

Dengan functions as a preposition meaning with. It connects the description of the office room (Bilik pejabat itu kemas) to the additional detail about its walls (dinding hiasan), much like how we use "with" to link features in English.

Is dinding hiasan a compound noun or a descriptive phrase, and what does it mean?

Dinding hiasan is a descriptive phrase. Dinding means wall and hiasan acts like an adjective meaning decorative or ornamental. Together, they describe a wall that has decorative features, rather than forming a compound noun with a new separate meaning.

Can Bilik pejabat be translated as "office room" or just "office"?

Literally, Bilik pejabat means office room since bilik means room and pejabat means office. However, in everyday English, it is often simply translated as "office" because the context usually makes it clear that it refers to a room used for office purposes.