Learn Hardcore Malay: Doktor berkata, “Jika selesema tidak sembuh sehingga Isnin, datang semula.” - The doctor said, “If the cold does not heal until Monday, come again.”

selesema is a noun meaning “common cold” (a mild respiratory infection with symptoms like a runny nose or sneezing). If you specifically want “influenza,” you could say demam selesema or use the English loan influenza.

What does sembuh mean?

sembuh is an intransitive verb meaning “to recover” or “to heal” from an illness. You simply say saya sembuh for “I have recovered,” with no object needed.

What is the function of jika here?

jika is a conjunction that introduces a conditional clause, just like English “if.” In writing or formal speech, jika is preferred, though in casual conversation you’ll often hear kalau instead.

What’s the difference between jika and kalau?

jika is slightly more formal or written.
kalau is more colloquial and common in everyday speech.
Both mean “if,” and you can usually swap them, but formal notices tend to use jika.

What does sehingga mean, and can I use hingga instead?

sehingga here means “until” (indicating a time limit). You can shorten it to hingga with the same meaning in time expressions. Note that sehingga can also function as a conjunction meaning “so that,” whereas hingga is primarily a preposition.

Why is datang semula used, and what does semula mean?

datang is the imperative form of “to come.”
semula means “again” or “back.”
Together, datang semula means “come again.” In informal contexts you might hear datang balik, but semula is more standard.

How do you form the imperative in Malay, like datang here?

You use the verb root by itself as an imperative: datang means “(you) come.” To soften it or make it more polite, you can add lah: datanglah.

Why is there a comma before the quoted speech rather than a colon?

In Malay, after verbs like kata or berkata, it’s common to use a comma to introduce direct speech (e.g., Doktor berkata, …). A colon is also allowed—especially in very formal writing—but the comma is far more frequent in normal texts.

What’s the difference between kata and berkata? Could we say Doktor kata?

kata is the root verb “said,” more colloquial.
berkata is a more formal or standard form “to say.”
You can say Doktor kata in casual speech or headlines, but Doktor berkata is preferred in formal or written Malay.