Saya pilih tempat duduk ekonomi untuk penerbangan ini.

I choose the economy seat for this flight.

Breakdown of Saya pilih tempat duduk ekonomi untuk penerbangan ini.

• saya: I
• ini: this
• untuk: for
• pilih: to choose
• tempat duduk: the seat
• ekonomi: economy
• penerbangan: the flight

Questions & Answers about Saya pilih tempat duduk ekonomi untuk penerbangan ini.

Why is the verb pilih in its root form rather than memilih or dipilih?

In everyday spoken Malay, it’s very common to use the bare root verb (pilih) to state simple actions—much like saying “I choose” in English.

• memilih is the formal or written form (the me- prefix marks an active verb).
• dipilih is the passive form (“be chosen”), so it wouldn’t make sense here since the speaker is doing the choosing.

How does tempat duduk ekonomi break down literally?

• tempat duduk = “place to sit” → seat
• ekonomi = “economy”
  Put together, tempat duduk ekonomi literally means “economy seat.”

Why does the adjective ekonomi come after the noun tempat duduk? Could I say ekonomi tempat duduk?

In Malay, adjectives follow the noun they describe. So you always say noun + adjective:
• tempat duduk (noun) + ekonomi (adjective)
If you said ekonomi tempat duduk, it would sound awkward or unclear.

There’s no “the” or “an” in the sentence. How does Malay handle articles?

Malay does not use separate words for “a,” “an,” or “the.” Definiteness or indefiniteness is understood from context or clarified with demonstratives like ini (this) or itu (that). For example:
• tempat duduk ekonomi can be “an economy seat” or “the economy seat” depending on context.
• If you need “this economy seat,” you’d say tempat duduk ekonomi ini.

What does untuk do in this sentence? Is it always “for”?

Yes, untuk generally means “for” (expressing purpose or intended recipient). Here, untuk penerbangan ini = “for this flight.” It links your action (choosing) to its purpose or context.

Why is ini placed after penerbangan? What if I used itu instead?

Demonstratives in Malay always follow the noun:
• penerbangan ini = “this flight”
• penerbangan itu = “that flight.”
Switching ini to itu simply changes which flight you’re talking about.

Can I drop the pronoun saya and still be understood?

Absolutely. Malay often omits subject pronouns when the subject is clear from context.
• (Saya) pilih tempat duduk ekonomi untuk penerbangan ini.
This still means “I choose an economy seat for this flight.” Including saya adds clarity or emphasis.

Is the word order fixed? Could I say Untuk penerbangan ini, saya pilih tempat duduk ekonomi?

Yes. Malay word order is quite flexible. Fronting a phrase for emphasis or to set context is common:
• Untuk penerbangan ini, saya pilih tempat duduk ekonomi.
The meaning doesn’t change.

How do you express tense in Malay? There’s no “-ed” or “will,” so how would I say “I have chosen” or “I will choose”?

Malay verbs don’t change form for tense. You add particles or time words instead:

• Present/simple: bare root → Saya pilih … (“I choose …”)
• Past/completed: add sudah or telah → Saya sudah memilih … (“I have chosen …”)
• Future: add akan → Saya akan pilih … (“I will choose …”)