Learn Hardcore Malay: Tujuan saya beli buku teks ialah supaya saya boleh belajar sejarah. - My purpose in buying a textbook is so that I can study history.

ialah is the copula (linking verb) used to define or identify a subject with a following noun phrase—much like English is in a definitional sentence. adalah serves almost the same purpose. The main differences are:

adalah is more commonly used in both spoken and written Malay.
ialah sounds more formal or literary and often appears in legal or academic writing.
For most learners, you can treat ialah and adalah as interchangeable in definitions.

Why is the verb beli used instead of membeli?

beli is the root form of “buy.” In everyday Malay, especially in speech, speakers often drop the me- prefix when the verb directly precedes its object. Thus saya beli buku is perfectly natural in conversation. In more formal or written contexts, you would use the full form membeli, e.g.
Tujuan saya membeli buku teks ialah…

What is the function of supaya, and how does it differ from sebab or untuk?

supaya introduces a purpose clause meaning “so that” or “in order that.”

It expresses an intended outcome: supaya saya boleh belajar sejarah means “so that I can study history.”
sebab means “because” and gives a reason, not a goal.
untuk also indicates purpose (“for” or “to”), but it takes a verb or noun directly—without introducing a full clause with its own subject. Use supaya when you need a mini-sentence as the purpose.

Is it necessary to include saya in the second clause (“supaya saya boleh belajar sejarah”)? Can it be omitted?

You can omit saya in the second clause because the subject is understood from the first clause. Native speakers often say supaya boleh belajar sejarah and it remains clear. Including saya adds clarity, especially for learners or in more formal writing.

How do you form the plural of buku teks if you want to say “textbooks”?

Malay does not require a special plural marker—buku teks can mean one or many textbooks. If you want to emphasize plurality, you can use reduplication:
• buku-buku teks
However, most of the time buku teks on its own is enough to indicate “textbooks.”

Is this sentence formal or colloquial Malay?

It’s a mix of both:
• Formal elements: the use of ialah and supaya.
• Colloquial element: the bare verb beli instead of membeli.
Overall, it reads as semi-formal—structured like written Malay but with a conversational verb choice.

Could you rewrite the sentence using untuk instead of supaya? Are both correct?

Yes. A concise alternative is:
Tujuan saya membeli buku teks untuk belajar sejarah.
Both versions are grammatically correct. Using supaya saya boleh belajar sejarah explicitly highlights “being able to,” while untuk belajar sejarah simply states the purpose.

Can boleh be replaced by dapat, and is there any difference?

Yes, you can say supaya saya dapat belajar sejarah.
• boleh often implies “may” or “can” in everyday speech.
• dapat means “able to” or “manage to” and leans more formal.
In this context the two are interchangeable, with dapat sounding slightly more formal.