Learn Hardcore Malay: Gaji di syarikat ini rendah. - The salary at this company is low.

Malay often drops the copula in simple descriptive sentences. The pattern Noun + (Prepositional Phrase) + Adjective is enough to express “X is Y.” If you want a more formal style, you can insert adalah:

Gaji di syarikat ini adalah rendah.
But in everyday speech, that adalah is usually omitted.

Why don’t we use “the” before gaji to say “the salary”?

Malay has no definite or indefinite articles (no “a,” “an,” or “the”). The noun gaji by itself can mean “salary,” “a salary,” or “the salary,” depending on context.

What part of speech is rendah, and why does it come after gaji di syarikat ini?

Rendah is an adjective meaning “low.” In Malay, adjectives normally follow the noun or noun phrase they modify:

Noun + Adjective → gaji rendah (“low salary”)
Here we inserted a location phrase, so the full order is: Noun (Gaji) + Prepositional Phrase (di syarikat ini) + Adjective (rendah).

Could I say Gaji rendah di syarikat ini instead?

Yes, that is also grammatically correct and common. Both

Gaji di syarikat ini rendah.
Gaji rendah di syarikat ini.
mean “The salary at this company is low.” The emphasis shifts slightly:
First version focuses on “salary at this company.”
Second version highlights “low salary” first.

What does di mean in di syarikat ini and why is it used before syarikat ini?

Di is the preposition “at” or “in.” It marks location. So di syarikat ini means “at this company.” In Malay, di always comes before the location noun or noun phrase.

Why is ini placed after syarikat instead of before it?

Demonstratives like “this” (ini) follow the noun they modify in Malay. So you say:

Noun + ini → syarikat ini (“this company”)
(not ini syarikat).

Can I use a possessive suffix to say “this company’s salary is low”?

Yes. You can attach -nya (“its”) to gaji:

Gajinya di syarikat ini rendah.
This literally reads, “Its salary at this company is low.” It’s less common if context already makes clear whose salary you mean, but it’s grammatically valid.

Is gaji countable or uncountable in Malay?

Gaji is treated like a mass noun in Malay; it doesn’t change form for singular/plural. To talk about multiple salaries, you still say gaji. If you need to specify “salaries,” you can add a classifier or context:

Beberapa gaji (“several salaries”)
Gaji-gaji is possible but less common.

How would I ask “Why is the salary at this company low?” in Malay?

You can say:

Kenapa gaji di syarikat ini rendah?
Here Kenapa means “why.” You keep the same structure and add the question word in front.

Can I make this sentence negative, e.g. “The salary at this company is not low”?

Yes. Use tidak before the adjective:

Gaji di syarikat ini tidak rendah.
Literally, “The salary at this company is not low.” If you mean “is high” instead of “not low,” you might say:
Gaji di syarikat ini tinggi.