Learn Hardcore Malay: Bilik guru terletak di belakang kantin. - The teacher’s room is located behind the canteen.

bilik means “room” and guru means “teacher.” When you put them together without any extra words, bilik guru literally translates to “teachers’ room,” which in English we often call the staff room.

Why isn’t there an apostrophe or any possessive marker between bilik and guru?

Malay forms possessives simply by placing one noun after another. You don’t add an apostrophe or a word like ’s. So instead of saying “bilik guru’s” or “biliknya guru,” you just say bilik guru.

What role does terletak play in the sentence? Is it a passive verb?

terletak is a stative verb meaning “to be located.” It comes from the root letak (“to place”) with the prefix ter-, which often marks an involuntary or descriptive state. Here, it describes where something is rather than an action being done to it.

Why is di used before belakang kantin?

In Malay, di is the preposition used for locations (similar to “in,” “at,” or “on” in English). When combined with belakang (“behind”), di belakang means “behind.” Adding the object gives you di belakang kantin = “behind the canteen.”

Could you rearrange the words as belakang di kantin or kantin di belakang?

No. The correct structure is always preposition (di) + position word (belakang) + object (kantin). Swapping them breaks the standard Malay word order for locative phrases.

Can I use berada instead of terletak here?

Yes, you can. berada also means “to be located/exist.” So Bilik guru berada di belakang kantin is grammatically correct. However, terletak is more commonly used when talking about fixed locations of buildings or rooms.

How would I say “in front of” instead of “behind” in Malay?

You’d use depan in the same pattern. So di depan kantin means “in front of the canteen.”

Why doesn’t bilik guru change form to show that there might be more than one teachers’ room or many teachers?

Malay nouns aren’t inflected for number. Whether you mean one staff room or several, you still say bilik guru. Context or additional words (like “dua bilik guru”) clarify the quantity.

Where does the word kantin come from? It doesn’t look Malay.

kantin is borrowed from the Dutch word kantine, which also means “canteen.” Many Malay words for modern concepts come from Dutch, English, or Arabic, and have been fully integrated into the language.