Learn Hardcore Malay: Langkah pertama ialah minum air sebelum menelan ubat. - The first step is to drink water before swallowing the medicine.

ialah is a copular verb (a linking verb) used to equate the subject (langkah pertama) with its complement (the action minum air sebelum menelan ubat). adalah functions almost the same way. You could say “Langkah pertama adalah minum air sebelum menelan ubat.” Both are correct, but ialah often sounds slightly more formal or literary. In everyday instructions you might even drop both and write “Langkah pertama: minum air sebelum menelan ubat.”

What parts of speech are langkah and pertama, and why do they appear together in that order?

langkah is a noun meaning “step,” and pertama is an adjective/ordinal meaning “first.” In Malay, adjectives (including ordinals) follow the noun they describe, so langkah pertama literally reads “step first,” i.e. “the first step.”

Why is minum not meminum, and is it functioning as a verb or a noun here?

In this sentence, minum air is treated like a noun phrase or infinitive meaning “drinking water.” The bare root minum can stand alone to express the action itself. If you used meminum, you’d be creating a causative/transitive verb “to cause someone to drink,” which isn’t intended. So minum remains in its root form to name the action.

Why does telan become menelan before ubat? How does the meN- prefix work?

The prefix meN- turns a root into an active verb. With roots beginning in t, meN- assimilates the t to n, so telan → menelan (“to swallow”). The pattern is: meN- + t → men- + elan = menelan. Similar assimilation happens with other initial consonants (e.g., k→meng, b→mem, etc.).

What does sebelum mean, and can I replace it with another word?

sebelum is a conjunction meaning “before” (in time). It links “drink water” and “swallow the medicine.” You could theoretically use phrases like dahulu (“first”) in colloquial speech, but for clear temporal sequencing in instructions, sebelum is the standard connector.

Can I move the sebelum clause to the front of the sentence?

Yes. You can say:
“Sebelum menelan ubat, langkah pertama ialah minum air.”
This fronting is grammatically fine, though in step-by-step guides you often keep the order as given or use a colon: “Langkah pertama: minum air sebelum menelan ubat.”

Why say menelan ubat instead of mengambil ubat or minum ubat?

mengambil ubat means “to take medicine” (pick it up or collect it), not necessarily swallow it.
minum ubat is used for liquid medicine you literally drink.
Here the focus is on swallowing a (solid) pill, so menelan ubat (“to swallow the medicine”) is precise.

Why are there no articles like “the” or “a” before langkah or ubat?

Malay has no definite or indefinite articles. Context tells you specificity. langkah pertama clearly means “the first step,” and menelan ubat means “swallowing the medicine” understood from context without needing “the.”