Learn Hardcore Malay: Walaupun jam tangan besi itu berat, saya masih suka memakainya ketika berjalan di pantai. - Although that steel watch is heavy, I still like wearing it when walking on the beach.

Walaupun means “although” or “even though.” It introduces a concessive clause, indicating a contrast (“even though the watch is heavy…”). In Malay, you can place walaupun at the start or in the middle of a sentence without changing its function.

Can I use meskipun instead of walaupun here?

Yes. Meskipun is largely interchangeable with walaupun, both meaning “although.” Meskipun is sometimes seen as slightly more formal, but in everyday speech you can swap them freely.

What is the role of itu in jam tangan besi itu?

Itu is a demonstrative pronoun meaning “that.” It specifies which iron watch you’re referring to: “that iron watch.” In Malay, demonstratives like ini (this) and itu (that) follow the noun.

Why does besi (iron) come after jam tangan (watch) instead of before?

In Malay, descriptive words—whether they’re material nouns (besi) or adjectives—follow the noun they modify. So jam tangan besi literally means “watch iron,” i.e. “iron watch.” Placing besi before jam tangan would sound unnatural.

Why is there no verb “to be” (is) in jam tangan besi itu berat?

Malay typically omits the copula “to be” in predicative clauses. The structure X Y (noun + adjective) directly conveys “X is Y.” Thus, jam tangan besi itu berat is understood as “that iron watch is heavy.”

Why is memakainya used instead of memakai dia or pakai itu?

Malay verbs use affixes and attach pronouns directly. Memakai is the active form of “to wear,” and the suffix -nya attaches the object pronoun “it.” So memakainya literally means “wear it.” You don’t separate the verb and pronoun as in English.

What does masih suka mean, and can I drop masih?

Masih means “still,” so masih suka translates to “still like.” You could drop masih—saya suka memakainya—to say “I like wearing it,” but you’d lose the nuance of “I still like wearing it (despite its heaviness).”

Why is di pantai used instead of ke pantai for walking on the beach?

Di pantai means “at/on the beach” (location), whereas ke pantai means “to the beach” (direction). Since the sentence describes walking along or on the beach, berjalan di pantai is correct.

How are definiteness and number indicated in Malay, given there’s no “the” or plural marker here?

Malay doesn’t use articles like “the” or “a,” nor does it mark plural nouns. Definiteness is often shown with demonstratives (itu = “that”), and number comes from context. Here, jam tangan could be singular or plural, but context tells us it’s one watch.