Learn Hardcore Malay: Semalam, saya menyerahkan dokumen penting kepada bos. - Yesterday, I handed over the important document to the boss.

Semalam is an adverbial of time meaning yesterday. Malay often positions time adverbials at the start to establish when the action happened. You could also place it at the end—e.g. “Saya menyerahkan dokumen penting kepada bos semalam”—but fronting it gives extra emphasis to the timing.

How is menyerahkan formed, and what does it convey?

Menyerahkan is a transitive verb built from the root serah (to hand over) with:

the meN- prefix (which assimilates to ny before “s”)
the -kan suffix (adding a causative or transitive nuance)
Together, they produce menyerahkan, literally “to cause/perform the handing over.” It tells us the subject actively handed something to someone.

Why aren’t there any articles (like “the” or “an”) before dokumen penting?

Malay does not use definite or indefinite articles. Dokumen penting can mean “an important document” or “the important document” depending on context. If you need to specify, you can add a demonstrative:

dokumen penting ini = this important document
dokumen penting itu = that important document

What is the role of kepada in kepada bos?

Kepada is a preposition meaning to when indicating the recipient of an action. So kepada bos means to the boss. It introduces the indirect object in Malay.

Why is the adjective penting placed after dokumen?

In Malay, attributive adjectives normally follow the nouns they modify. Thus dokumen penting is literally document important, following the standard Noun + Adjective order.

Can you omit saya in this sentence?

Yes, Malay often drops subject pronouns when the context is clear. In a conversation where it’s obvious you’re speaking about yourself, you could say:
“Semalam menyerahkan dokumen penting kepada bos.”
However, in writing or to avoid ambiguity, including saya is more natural:
“Semalam, saya menyerahkan dokumen penting kepada bos.”

How would you turn this statement into a question in Malay?

To ask “Did you hand over the important document to the boss yesterday?”, you can say:

Casual/informal: “Kamu menyerahkan dokumen penting kepada bos semalam?”
Neutral/formal: “Adakah anda menyerahkan dokumen penting kepada bos semalam?”
You can also front the time adverbial: “Semalam, adakah anda menyerahkan dokumen penting kepada bos?”

Could you use untuk instead of kepada here, and what changes in meaning?

You can say untuk bos (“for the boss”), but it shifts the nuance:

kepada bos = “to the boss” (marks the recipient)
untuk bos = “for the boss” (marks beneficiary or purpose)
If you want to stress that the document benefits the boss, use untuk; if you want to highlight the act of handing it over to him, use kepada.