Learn Hardcore Malay: Saya guna foto rujukan untuk melukis pemandangan pantai. - I use a reference photo to draw the beach scenery.

guna means “to use.” It’s a shortened, colloquial form of menggunakan, which is the more formal or standard Malay verb for “to use.” Both are correct, but guna is common in everyday speech and writing.

What is foto rujukan, and why is rujukan placed after foto?

foto rujukan literally means “reference photo.” In Malay, modifiers usually follow the noun they describe, so foto (photo) comes first, and rujukan (reference) follows to tell you what kind of photo it is.

Why are there no articles like “a” or “the” in this sentence?

Malay does not use definite or indefinite articles. Context alone tells you whether you mean “a reference photo,” “the reference photo,” or photos in general.

What does untuk mean here, and can I replace it with another word?

In this sentence, untuk means “for” or “in order to.” You could also say supaya (“so that”) in some contexts, but untuk is the most direct way to express purpose.

What is melukis, and which part is the root?

melukis is a verb meaning “to draw” or “to paint.” It consists of the prefix me- attached to the root lukis. When added to an l- root, the prefix remains me- without other changes.

Why is the noun phrase pemandangan pantai ordered this way?

pemandangan pantai means “beach scenery.” In Malay, the thing being described (pemandangan, “scenery”) comes first, and the descriptor (pantai, “beach”) comes second. English word order is the same here, but Malay always puts the modifier after the noun.

How do we know when guna refers to present use vs. past use?

Malay verbs do not change form for tense. Timing is understood from context or time words (e.g., sekarang for now, semalam for yesterday). Here, if you say simply Saya guna, it generally means “I am using” or “I use,” depending on context.

Why is Saya used, and can I omit it?

Saya means “I.” You can omit it if context makes the subject clear, especially in casual speech: Guna foto rujukan untuk melukis pemandangan pantai still works. Including Saya makes the subject explicit and is common in more formal or written Malay.

Is there a difference between foto and gambar?

Both mean “photo” or “picture.” Foto is borrowed from English and often refers specifically to photographs, while gambar is a native Malay word that can mean any kind of image, drawing, or picture.

How is pantai pronounced, and which syllable is stressed?

pantai is pronounced /pan-tai/. Stress falls lightly on the first syllable pan-, and the second syllable -tai is pronounced like the English word “tie.”

Can I add words like perlu or harus to mean “I need to use”?

Yes. To say “I need to use a reference photo,” you could write: Saya perlu guna foto rujukan untuk melukis pemandangan pantai. Here perlu (“need to”) clarifies necessity.