Learn Hardcore Malay: Pegawai memberi arahan jelas ketika mengisi borang. - The officer gives clear instructions while filling in the form.

Pegawai means “officer” or “official,” referring to someone in a formal or administrative role. It’s more specific than petugas (“staff” or “attendant”) and not as specialized as polis (“police officer”).

Why are there no words like “the” or “a” before pegawai or arahan?

Malay does not use definite or indefinite articles like “the” or “a.” Nouns stand alone, and you rely on context. If you need to indicate “a certain” or “the,” you can add modifiers like seorang (“a certain”) or itu (“that”).

Why is the adjective jelas placed after arahan, and why isn’t yang used?

Adjectives in Malay generally follow the noun they describe, so arahan jelas is the normal order for “clear instructions.” You can insert yang to form a relative clause—arahan yang jelas—but it’s optional when linking a straightforward adjective.

What does the prefix mem- do in memberi?

mem- is an active verb prefix. It attaches to the root beri (“give”) to form memberi (“gives”). This prefix-marking process is how Malay turns many noun or adjective roots into active verbs.

Could we use another word instead of ketika, like apabila or semasa?

Yes. ketika, apabila, and semasa all mean “when” or “while.” They’re largely interchangeable, though apabila often appears in conditional statements (“when/if”), and semasa emphasizes “during” a time period.

Why is it mengisi borang rather than just isi borang?

mengisi is the verb “to fill” formed by adding the active prefix meng- to the root isi (“fill/content”). Without meng-, isi functions as a noun (“content”).

Does changing the word order affect the meaning? For example, Pegawai jelas memberi arahan?

Yes. Pegawai memberi arahan jelas means “the officer gives clear instructions” (clarity modifies the instructions). Pegawai jelas memberi arahan would mean “the officer clearly gives instructions,” shifting the emphasis to how the officer gives them.