Learn Hardcore Malay: Rakan saya hampir ketinggalan bas kerana dia belok di simpang yang salah. - My friend almost missed the bus because he turned at the wrong junction.

hampir is an adverb meaning almost or nearly. When you place it before a verb like ketinggalan (to be left behind/miss), it gives “almost missed.” So hampir ketinggalan bas = almost missed the bus. You can do the same with other verbs: hampir jatuh (“almost fell”), hampir terlambat (“almost late”).

Why is the possessor after the noun in rakan saya, instead of saya rakan?

Malay uses the order noun + possessor. So rakan saya = “friend my” = my friend. Saying saya rakan would read “I friend” and isn’t grammatical.

There’s no word for “the” or “a” before bas or simpang—why?

Malay doesn’t have articles like the or a. Nouns stand alone, and you rely on context for definiteness. If you need to be specific, you add a demonstrative: bas itu (that bus), simpang itu (that intersection).

What role does kerana play, and how is it different from sebab or kerana itu?

kerana is a conjunction meaning because, used to introduce a reason: kerana dia belok… = because he/she turned….

sebab also means “because” but is more colloquial.
kerana itu means “therefore,” so it wouldn’t fit here.

Why do we say belok di simpang? Isn’t di the passive marker?

Here, di is a preposition meaning at/in/on, not the passive verb prefix. As a preposition it’s written with a space: di simpang = at the intersection. The passive prefix di- is attached directly to verbs (e.g. ditulis, dilihat) with no space.

What’s the function of yang in simpang yang salah? Couldn’t we just say simpang salah?

Adjectives normally follow nouns directly, so simpang salah is understandable. But when you want a relative clause—“the intersection that is wrong”—you use yang to link noun and descriptor. simpang yang salah = the wrong intersection. In casual speech you might hear simpang salah, but simpang yang salah is clearer and more formal.

Can we drop dia and say Rakan saya hampir ketinggalan bas kerana belok di simpang yang salah?

In informal Malay, pronouns can be omitted when the subject is obvious, so you might hear …sebab belok di simpang…. In standard or written Malay, though, you usually include dia to clearly mark the subject of the second clause: kerana dia belok…. Omitting it in formal text can sound abrupt.

How would you say “buses” (plural) instead of “bus”? Do you add -s?

Malay nouns don’t change form for number. bas can mean “bus” or “buses” depending on context. To specify quantity, you add numerals or quantifiers: dua bas (two buses), beberapa bas (several buses), banyak bas (many buses).