Learn Hardcore Malay: Murid-murid mengisi borang digital untuk memohon biasiswa. - The pupils fill in a digital form to apply for a scholarship.

murid-murid is the plural of murid (student). In Malay, one common way to pluralize a noun is by reduplication—repeating the noun to turn “student” into “students.”

What does mengisi mean, and what does the prefix meng- do?

mengisi means “to fill (something).”

The root verb is isi, meaning “fill.”
The prefix meng- makes it an active, transitive verb (“to cause something to be filled”). So mengisi borang = “fill out a form.”

What’s the difference between isi and mengisi?

isi is the base form “fill.” You often see it in instructions, e.g. Isi di sini (“Fill in here”).
mengisi is the conjugated verb used in sentences to indicate the action: “(They) fill (something).”

What is borang digital, and is borang a loanword?

borang digital means “digital form(s).”

borang is indeed borrowed from English form, but it’s fully naturalized in Malay to mean any document or questionnaire.

Why is the English word digital used instead of a Malay equivalent?

In technology and administrative contexts, English loanwords like digital are very common because they’re concise and universally understood. While Malay alternatives exist (e.g. berformat digital), most speakers just use digital.

What does memohon mean, and why doesn’t Malay use a preposition like “for” as in English “apply for”?

memohon means “to apply” or “to request.” It’s a transitive verb, so it takes its object directly (memohon biasiswa = “apply (for) a scholarship”). English needs “for,” but Malay verbs often incorporate that meaning without extra prepositions.

Could we say mohon biasiswa instead of memohon biasiswa?

In formal standard Malay, the active verb form memohon is correct.
mohon biasiswa might appear in headlines or conversational shortcuts (“Mohon biasiswa sekarang!”), but full sentences normally use memohon.

What is biasiswa, and how did that word come about?

biasiswa means “scholarship.” It originates from combining biaya (cost/expense) + siswa (student), literally “student’s expense support.” Over time biaya siswa fused into one word.

What role does untuk play in this sentence, and can it be swapped out?

untuk signals purpose: “in order to.” Here untuk memohon biasiswa = “to apply for a scholarship.” You could also use supaya (“so that”) in a longer sentence:
“Murid-murid mengisi borang digital supaya dapat memohon biasiswa.”
But untuk + verb is the simplest way to show purpose.

Is it okay to start the sentence with Untuk memohon biasiswa?

Yes. Malay allows fronting purpose clauses.
“Untuk memohon biasiswa, murid-murid mengisi borang digital.”
This simply places emphasis on the purpose.

Why aren’t there words like “the” or “a” before borang digital or biasiswa?

Malay doesn’t use definite or indefinite articles (“the,” “a”). Nouns stand alone, and context or quantity words (e.g. beberapa, itu) clarify specificity if needed.

Can we use para murid instead of murid-murid?

Yes. para is a formal plural marker for people.
“Para murid mengisi borang digital untuk memohon biasiswa” is correct and slightly more formal or literary.