Breakdown of Saya akan hantar laporan kepada bos dalam masa satu jam.
saya
I
kepada
to
hantar
to send
laporan
the report
akan
will
bos
the boss
satu
one
dalam masa
within
jam
the hour
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Questions & Answers about Saya akan hantar laporan kepada bos dalam masa satu jam.
What does akan mean, and why is it used here?
akan is the future-tense marker in Malay. It goes right after the subject to show that the action hasn’t happened yet. In English it corresponds to will or going to.
- Saya (subject) + akan (future) + hantar (verb) = “I will send.”
Why is the verb hantar not written as menghantar?
In standard Malay, the full verb form is menghantar, where meN- is the active-verb prefix. However:
- After the future marker akan, speakers often use the root form (hantar) in casual or semi-formal contexts.
- In very formal writing, you can write Saya akan menghantar laporan…, but Saya akan hantar laporan… is perfectly acceptable in everyday conversation.
What is the function of kepada in kepada bos?
kepada is a preposition meaning to or for when directing something toward a person or entity.
- hantar laporan kepada bos = send the report to the boss
Without kepada, you’d lose that “to”-meaning.
What happens if I drop kepada and say Saya akan hantar laporan bos?
Then bos acts like a possessive modifier of laporan – “the boss’s report.” You’d be saying I will send the boss’s report, not send a report to the boss. To keep the “to” meaning, you need kepada bos.
Why dalam masa satu jam instead of simply dalam satu jam or just sejam?
All three can express a one-hour time span, but there are subtle differences:
- dalam satu jam = within one hour (very common, a bit more concise)
- sejam = literally “one hour,” can replace dalam satu jam in casual speech: sejam lagi (“in another hour”)
- dalam masa satu jam = within a time period of one hour; it emphasizes the duration and is slightly more formal.
Can I move dalam masa satu jam to the beginning of the sentence?
Yes. Malay is flexible with time phrases. You can say:
- Dalam masa satu jam, saya akan hantar laporan kepada bos.
This fronting adds emphasis to the time frame but keeps the meaning unchanged.
Could I use a different verb like kirim or antar instead of hantar?
Yes, all three—hantar, kirim, antar—can mean “send.” Subtle nuances:
- hantar = send/deliver (general)
- kirim = dispatch/send (often written messages or parcels)
- antar = accompany/send off (sometimes implies you’re delivering in person)
Choose based on context or personal preference.
Why is the word order Saya akan hantar laporan and not Saya hantar akan laporan?
Malay follows S – Aux – V – O for future constructions:
- Subject (Saya)
- Future marker (akan)
- Verb (hantar)
- Object (laporan…)
Moving akan after the verb (hantar akan) would break the standard pattern and sound unnatural.