Learn Hardcore Malay: Kita menunggu bas di sempadan malam ini. - We wait for the bus at the border tonight.

kita means “we” including both the speaker and the listener. In contrast, kami means “we” excluding the listener. Use kita when you want to involve your listener in the group; use kami when you’re referring to a group that does not include them.

Why is the verb menunggu used instead of just tunggu?

Malay forms active transitive verbs by adding the meN- prefix to a root. Here:
• Root: tunggu (“wait for”)
• Prefix: meN-
Results in menunggu = “to wait for” (with a direct object, e.g. the bus).

Why is bas spelled with an a rather than bus like in English?

Malay adapts borrowed words to its own spelling and sounds. English “bus” becomes bas. There’s no article “the” or “a,” so bas can mean “bus,” “a bus,” or “the bus” depending on context.

What role does di play in di sempadan?

di is the preposition for location, equivalent to “at,” “in,” or “on.” So di sempadan means “at the border.” If you express movement to a place, you’d use ke instead (e.g. ke sempadan = “to the border”).

Why are there no “the” or “a” before border or bus?

Malay does not use definite or indefinite articles. Nouns appear bare, and context provides definiteness. If you need specificity, you can add words like ini (“this”) or itu (“that”).

Why is malam ini placed at the end, and what exactly does it mean?

malam ini means “tonight.” Time expressions in Malay are flexible: they can go at the beginning or end of a sentence. Ending with malam ini is very common in casual speech and writing.

Is Malay word order strict, or can you change the position of time and location?

The core order is Subject–Verb–Object, but time and place can move for emphasis. All these are acceptable:
• Malam ini kita menunggu bas di sempadan. (time first)
• Kita menunggu bas di sempadan malam ini. (time last)
• Di sempadan kita menunggu bas malam ini. (location first)
Choose the order that highlights what you want to emphasize.