Perbualan penting berlaku sebelum mesyuarat.

An important conversation happened before the meeting.

Breakdown of Perbualan penting berlaku sebelum mesyuarat.

• sebelum: before
• penting: important
• mesyuarat: the meeting
• perbualan: the conversation
• berlaku: to happen

Questions & Answers about Perbualan penting berlaku sebelum mesyuarat.

Why is there no a or the in this sentence?

Malay does not use articles (definite or indefinite). Nouns appear without a, an, or the. Context or additional words are used if specificity is needed (e.g., sebuah perbualan for “a conversation” or perbualan itu for “that conversation”).

Why is penting placed after perbualan? In English, adjectives come before nouns.

In Malay, adjectives almost always follow the noun they modify.

• perbualan penting = “important conversation”
  You would not say penting perbualan.

What does berlaku mean, and can I use terjadi instead?

berlaku means “to occur” or “to take place.”

• Perbualan penting berlaku… = “An important conversation took place…”
  terjadi also means “to happen.” You could say Perbualan penting terjadi sebelum mesyuarat, but berlaku is slightly more formal or neutral.

How do I know this refers to the past? There’s no tense marking on berlaku.

Malay verbs do not change form for past, present, or future. Time is shown by context or by adding particles/adverbs:

• telah berlaku or sudah berlaku = “has already taken place” (past emphasis)
• akan berlaku = “will take place” (future emphasis)
  Leaving it bare (as in your sentence) often implies a past event if the context is a completed action.

Is sebelum acting like an English preposition? Can I move it to the front?

Yes, sebelum is a preposition meaning “before.” You can position the phrase either way:

• Mid-sentence: Perbualan penting berlaku sebelum mesyuarat.
• Fronted: Sebelum mesyuarat, perbualan penting berlaku.

What’s the difference between perbualan and perbincangan? Can both be used here?

• perbualan (from bual, “chat”): a conversation, usually more casual or general.
• perbincangan (from bincang, “discuss”): a discussion or deliberation, often more formal or focused.
  You can say perbincangan penting berlaku sebelum mesyuarat if you want to stress that it was a formal discussion rather than a general chat.

Could I replace berlaku with berlangsung or diadakan instead?

Yes—each has its nuance:

• berlangsung = “to continue/take place” (focus on duration)
• diadakan = “to be held/organized” (often used for events)
  Example alternatives:
• Perbualan penting berlangsung sebelum mesyuarat.
• Perbualan penting diadakan sebelum mesyuarat.