Learn Hardcore Malay: Malangnya, kamera saya tertinggal di hotel, jadi saya tidak dapat melukis dengan foto rujukan. - Unfortunately, my camera was left behind at the hotel, so I cannot draw with reference photos.

malangnya comes from the adjective malang (“unfortunate”). Adding the suffix -nya turns it into an adverb—so malangnya means unfortunately. In Malay, -nya often creates adverbs or adds emphasis, similar to -ly in English. You’ll also see sayangnya (“pity that…/unfortunately”) used in similar ways.

What is tertinggal, and why not ditinggalkan?

tertinggal is formed with the ter- prefix on the base tinggal (“to stay/leave behind”), giving the sense “to end up left behind” or “is left behind unintentionally.” It’s not the passive of tinggalkan; that passive form is ditinggalkan, which implies a deliberate action by someone. tertinggal stresses an accidental or unplanned situation.

What’s the difference between tertinggal and terlupa?

tertinggal highlights that something was left behind (“ended up staying there”), while terlupa means “to forget.” For example, saya terlupa membawa kamera (“I forgot to bring my camera”) focuses on failing to remember, whereas kamera saya tertinggal di hotel (“my camera got left behind at the hotel”) emphasizes that the camera remained there.

Why use melukis instead of menggambar?

Both verbs relate to making images: melukis often means painting (using brushes, colors) and can include drawing, while menggambar usually refers to sketching or drawing outlines (with pencil, pen). In practice they overlap, but artists typically melukis a painting and menggambar a sketch.

Why say tidak dapat melukis rather than tidak boleh?

boleh conveys permission or possibility (“may/can”), whereas dapat expresses actual ability or capacity. Saying saya tidak dapat melukis means “I am unable to paint” (because, for instance, I lack a reference), whereas saya tidak boleh melukis could be interpreted as “I am not allowed to paint” or “it’s not possible.” tidak dapat zeroes in on inability.

What does jadi mean in jadi saya tidak dapat melukis? Could I use something else?

Here jadi works as a conjunction meaning “so” or “thus,” linking the two statements. It’s common and relatively neutral in tone. For more formal writing, you could use maka, lalu, or oleh itu (e.g., maka saya tidak dapat melukis), but jadi is perfectly natural in everyday speech.

How does dengan foto rujukan work, and can it be rephrased?

dengan means “with,” indicating instrument or accompaniment. foto rujukan is “reference photo” (foto = photo, rujukan = reference). So dengan foto rujukan means “with a reference photo” (i.e. using one). You could also say menggunakan foto rujukan (“using a reference photo”) or dengan menggunakan foto rujukan for emphasis. Some people swap in gambar rujukan but the meaning stays the same.

What does di hotel mean, and why not ke hotel? Also, why no “the” in Malay?

di marks location (“at/in”), so di hotel means “at the hotel.” Malay doesn’t use articles like “the” or “a,” so you simply say di hotel. If you wanted to express movement toward the hotel, you’d use ke hotel (“to the hotel”).