Learn Hardcore Malay: Guru meminta saya pilih tajuk utama untuk laporan sejarah. - The teacher asks me to choose the main title for the history report.

After verbs of request or command like meminta, menyuruh or minta, Malay typically uses the bare (root) form of the following verb without untuk. It’s similar to English colloquial “He asked me go” vs. the more formal “He asked me to go.” In Malay you say meminta saya pilih rather than meminta saya untuk pilih.

Can I use memilih and add untuk, as in Guru meminta saya untuk memilih tajuk utama untuk laporan sejarah?

Yes. That construction is perfectly grammatical and a bit more formal. Here untuk marks the infinitive (“to choose”) and memilih is the full active verb with the meN- prefix. Both versions convey the same meaning.

Why is pilih used instead of memilih?

pilih is the root form of the verb “to choose.” In control-verb constructions (after verbs like meminta), Malay often prefers the bare verb. Using memilih without untuk would feel odd; you’d either say pilih (bare) or untuk memilih (infinitive).

What’s the difference between tajuk and judul?

Both can mean “title.” tajuk is the native Malay word for a heading or title, especially in formal and academic contexts in Malaysia. judul is also understood (more common in Indonesian). In Malaysia, tajuk is preferred.

What does utama add to tajuk utama?

utama means “main” or “primary.” So tajuk utama literally means “main title” or “principal heading,” indicating the most important title for the report.

Why is it laporan sejarah and not laporan tentang sejarah?

laporan sejarah is a compound noun meaning “history report.” You could say laporan tentang sejarah (“a report about history”) to be explicit, but Malay commonly forms concise noun-noun compounds for brevity.

What role does saya play here? Why isn’t it at the beginning?

In this sentence, saya is the direct object of meminta (the teacher is asking something of “me”) and simultaneously the subject of pilih in the subordinate clause (“for me to choose”). In Malay, objects follow the verb, so Guru meminta saya is correct word order.

Can I replace meminta with menyuruh? How are they different?

Yes. menyuruh means “to order” or “to instruct” (a stronger tone), while meminta means “to request” or “to ask” (more polite). Your choice depends on how forceful you want the command to sound.