Learn Hardcore Malay: Pensyarah memberi nasihat kerjaya yang lebih jelas daripada buku teks. - The lecturer gives career advice that is clearer than the textbook.

Pensyarah means lecturer or instructor (especially at a college/university). It’s a common noun and here functions as the subject of the sentence. If you want to specify “a lecturer,” you can add a classifier (e.g. seorang pensyarah). Without a classifier, it can mean “the lecturer” or “lecturers” in general, depending on context.

Why is the verb memberi used here, and how is it formed?

The root verb is beri (to give). Malay adds the meN- prefix for transitive verbs: meN- + beri → memberi. Because beri starts with “b,” the prefix assimilates to “mem-.” Thus memberi is the active, transitive form (“to give”), taking a direct object (nasihat kerjaya).

Why is it nasihat kerjaya instead of “kerjaya advice”? How does noun order work?

Malay noun phrases put the head noun first, then the modifier:

nasihat = advice (head noun)
kerjaya = career (modifier)
So nasihat kerjaya literally “advice career” = “career advice.” English does the reverse (modifier + head noun).

Could we use menasihati instead of memberi nasihat? What’s the difference?

Yes. menasihati is the active verb “to advise” (meN- + nasihat). You could rewrite the sentence as:
Pensyarah menasihati pelajar dengan penjelasan yang lebih jelas daripada buku teks.
Both constructions are correct; menasihati is more directly “advise,” while memberi nasihat literally “give advice.”

What role does yang play in nasihat kerjaya yang lebih jelas daripada buku teks? Can it be omitted?

yang introduces the relative clause “that is clearer than a textbook,” modifying nasihat kerjaya. It’s equivalent to English “that” or “which.” In formal Malay, you generally keep yang for clarity. In casual speech, you might hear nasihat kerjaya lebih jelas daripada buku teks, but omitting yang can sometimes cause ambiguity.

How does the comparative lebih jelas daripada work? Is daripada always “than”?

Comparisons in Malay use:
lebih + adjective + daripada + second item.

lebih = more
jelas = clear
daripada = than
So lebih jelas daripada buku teks = “clearer than a textbook.” Here daripada specifically marks the item you’re comparing against (= “than”).

What’s the difference between daripada and dari? When do I use each?

daripada is used for comparisons (“than”) and also to indicate origin from a person or group in certain contexts (e.g. surat daripada ibu = a letter from mother).
dari marks source/origin in place, time or general provenance (e.g. Saya datang dari Johor, Mulai dari pagi).
For straight comparisons, always use daripada.

Why is there no word for “a” (like sebuah or satu) before buku teks?

Malay does not require an indefinite article. A bare noun can mean “a/an” or express a general category. If you want to emphasize a single item, you can add a classifier: daripada sebuah buku teks (“from a single textbook”), but it’s optional and often omitted.