Learn Hardcore Malay: Dia bukan sahaja menulis laporan, tetapi juga menyusun dokumen di pejabat. - He/She not only writes reports, but also organizes documents at the office.

bukan sahaja… tetapi juga is a correlative conjunction meaning “not only… but also.” It links two actions or items to emphasize that both occur. The pattern is:
bukan sahaja + clause 1 + tetapi juga + clause 2.

Can we use tidak hanya… tetapi juga instead of bukan sahaja… tetapi juga, and is there a difference?

Yes. tidak hanya… tetapi juga carries the same meaning.
– bukan sahaja sounds a bit more formal or emphatic.
– tidak hanya is more conversational.
Functionally, both constructions are interchangeable.

Why is there a comma before tetapi juga in the sentence?

In written Malay, a comma often separates the two clauses in bukan sahaja… tetapi juga for clarity—similar to English. It helps signal the shift from the first action to the second.

What is the role of the men- prefix in menulis and menyusun?

The men- prefix is a verbal affix that turns a root into an active transitive verb:
• tulis (write) → menulis (to write)
• susun (arrange) → menyusun (to arrange)

Why does susun change to nyusun instead of mensusun?

Malay nasal-assimilation rules apply when men- meets an s-initial root:

Drop the initial s → susun becomes usun
Change men- to meny- → menyusun
Hence susun
- men- → menyusun.

What is the function of di in di pejabat?

Here di is a locative preposition meaning “at” or “in.” It marks the location of the action:
menyusun dokumen di pejabat = organizing documents in/at the office.

What is the word order in this Malay sentence? Is it V-O like English?

This sentence follows Subject–Verb–Object (SVO), like English:
• Subject: Dia
• Verb: menulis
• Object: laporan
Then the second clause repeats Verb–Object (menyusun dokumen). Malay is flexible but here mirrors English SVO.

Does dia indicate a specific gender?

No. dia is gender-neutral in Malay and can mean “he,” “she,” or even “it,” depending on context.