Learn Hardcore Malay: Saya guna buku teks untuk belajar sejarah.

Guna is the colloquial root verb meaning “to use.” Menggunakan is the formal/dictionary form, with the meN- prefix and ‑kan suffix. In everyday speech you’ll often hear “Saya guna buku teks…,” while in formal writing or more polite contexts you’d say “Saya menggunakan buku teks….”

Why is there no word for “a” or “the” before buku teks?

Malay does not have definite or indefinite articles. Context alone tells you whether something is specific or general. Buku teks can mean “a textbook,” “the textbook,” or even “textbooks” depending on the situation. If you really need to show plurality, you can use reduplication: buku-buku teks (“textbooks”).

What is the role of untuk in this sentence?

Untuk is a preposition that expresses purpose, similar to “in order to” or simply “to” in English. So untuk belajar sejarah means “to study history,” explaining why you use the textbook.

Why isn’t belajar marked with any prefixes or suffixes?

Many Malay verbs appear in their root form when used as infinitives, especially after untuk. There’s no extra particle needed before or after belajar; the verb already carries the meaning “to learn” or “to study.”

Why is sejarah placed after belajar instead of before?

Malay follows a Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) order, just like English. Sejarah is the direct object of belajar, so you say belajar sejarah (“study history”), not sejarah belajar.

Can you replace Saya with a different pronoun?

Yes. Saya is the neutral, polite first-person pronoun. In informal speech you might use aku: “Aku guna buku teks untuk belajar sejarah.” Different regions also have their own pronouns (e.g. hampa, diah), but saya and aku are most common.

Is it possible to rearrange this sentence for emphasis?

Absolutely. Malay allows flexibility in word order. If you want to emphasize the purpose you could say:
Untuk belajar sejarah, saya guna buku teks.
Here the focus is on “to study history” before mentioning the subject.