Learn Hardcore Malay: Pokok di taman menyejukkan udara pada waktu petang. - The tree in the park cools the air in the evening.

Malay does not use articles. Nouns like pokok (tree/trees) stand alone; whether it means “a tree,” “the tree,” or “trees” is inferred from context.

How do you express “trees” (plural) in Malay?

Malay typically doesn’t mark nouns for plural. pokok alone can mean “tree(s).” To emphasize plurality you can use reduplication: pokok-pokok = “trees.”

What does di in di taman mean?

di is a preposition meaning in/at/on, used before a noun to show location. So di taman = “in the park.”

Why is it menyejukkan instead of just sejuk?

sejuk is an adjective meaning cool/cold. To turn it into a verb “to cool (something),” Malay adds the prefix men- to the root sejuk and the suffix -kan, forming menyejukkan (“to cause to cool”).

What role does the suffix -kan play in menyejukkan?

The suffix -kan makes the verb causative: it indicates that the subject causes an action to happen to an object. Here, menyejukkan means “to make/cause something to become cool.”

Why is it pada waktu petang? Can I just say petang?

pada is a time preposition meaning at/in, and waktu means time. So pada waktu petang = “in the afternoon.” In casual speech you can shorten it to pada petang or even just petang.

Is the word order fixed in this sentence?

Typical Malay word order is Subject + (Location) + Verb + Object + (Time). Here: • Subject: Pokok
• Location: di taman
• Verb + Object: menyejukkan udara
• Time: pada waktu petang
Time and location phrases can sometimes be moved for emphasis.

Why isn’t udara marked in any special way as the object?

Malay marks objects by their position after a transitive verb, without extra particles. So menyejukkan udara straightforwardly means “cool the air.”