Learn Hardcore Malay: Saya terkejut ketika kilat menyambar pokok di tepi sawah. - I was surprised when lightning struck a tree by the rice field.

terkejut means “shocked” or “surprised.” In Malay, kejut is the root meaning “to wake” or “to startle,” and the prefix ter- often indicates an unintentional or involuntary state. So terkejut literally conveys that the speaker was involuntarily startled. As an adjective or stative verb, it describes the sudden emotion of surprise.

Why is there no tense marking on menyambar? How do I know this happened in the past?

Malay verbs do not change form for tense. Time is understood from context or added words. In this sentence, the past sense comes from the overall context (“I was shocked when…”) plus the use of ketika (“when”), which situates the action as an event that already occurred. If you need to make the past explicit, you can add a time adverb: tadi, semalam, etc.

What is the difference between kilat and petir?

Technically, kilat refers to the visible flash of lightning, while guntur is the sound (thunder). Petir is often used in everyday speech to mean “lightning.” In many contexts kilat and petir are interchangeable, but if you want to be precise:
• kilat = the flash of lightning
• guntur = the rumble of thunder
• petir = general term for lightning

Why use ketika instead of bila or apabila?

All three words mean “when,” but they differ in formality and nuance:

bila is the most colloquial and common in speech.
apabila is more literary/formal.
ketika is also somewhat formal and often used in writing to introduce a time clause.

How does the prefix meny- work in menyambar, and what is the root form?

The root is sambar (“to snatch, to strike”). Malay uses nasal prefixes to form active verbs: for roots beginning with s, the prefix is meny-, and the initial s is dropped in pronunciation but remains in spelling. Thus sambar + meny- → menyambar, meaning “to strike (down)” or “to hit suddenly.”

What’s the nuance between tepi and sebelah in location phrases?

tepi means “edge” or “side”; di tepi sawah = “at the edge of the paddy field,” right on the border.
sebelah means “beside” or “next to”; di sebelah sawah = “next to the paddy field,” implying adjacency but not necessarily on the very edge.

Can the sentence work without saya?

Yes. Malay often drops pronouns when the subject is clear:
• With subject: Saya terkejut ketika…
• Without subject: Terkejut ketika kilat menyambar pokok di tepi sawah.
Omitting saya is fine in casual contexts but including it adds clarity and formality.

Why isn’t there a word for “the” in pokok or sawah?

Malay does not use articles (“a,” “the”) like English. Definiteness is understood from context or added demonstratives (e.g., pokok itu = “that tree”). Here, pokok and sawah stand alone without articles, yet their meaning remains clear from the situation you’re describing.