Learn Hardcore Malay: Pada musim panas terik, kita jarang duduk di luar. - In the scorching hot summer season, we seldom sit outside.

pada is a preposition that, when used with time expressions, means “during.” So pada musim panas terik literally translates to “during the scorching summer.” It introduces the time frame in which the action takes place.

Why is the phrase musim panas terik structured that way, and could you add yang between panas and terik?

In Malay, descriptive elements (adjectives) follow the noun they modify. Here:

musim = “season”
panas = “heat/heat season” → together musim panas = “summer”
terik = “scorching” Putting them in order gives musim panas terik = “scorching summer.”
You can insert yang (a relative pronoun) to make musim panas yang terik, which is also correct and slightly more formal. Omitting yang is common in everyday speech.

What does jarang mean, and why is it placed before duduk?

jarang means “rarely.” It’s an adverb of frequency. In Malay, such adverbs typically sit between the subject and the verb:

kita (subject) + jarang (adverb) + duduk (verb)
So kita jarang duduk = “we rarely sit.” You could also say jarang kita duduk, but placing it after the subject is more natural.

Who does kita refer to? How is it different from kami?

kita is the first-person plural inclusive pronoun, meaning “we” including the person you’re speaking to.
kami is the first-person plural exclusive pronoun, meaning “we” excluding the person you’re speaking to.
So if you say kita, you’re including the listener in that “we.”

Why is di used before luar in duduk di luar, and can you drop di?

di is the locative preposition meaning “at,” “in,” or “on.” Combined with luar (“outside”), di luar means “outside” as a location:

duduk di luar = “sit outside.”
You cannot drop di here—luar by itself is just a noun (“outside” in abstract), whereas di luar is the locative phrase you need to indicate where someone sits.

What’s the difference between di luar and keluar?

di luar (with di) is a prepositional phrase meaning “outside” (location).
keluar (no di) is a verb meaning “to go out” or “exit.”
So duduk di luar = “sit outside,” while kita keluar = “we go out.”

Can you replace jarang with other frequency adverbs? How would the sentence change?

Yes. You can swap in other adverbs of frequency in the same slot:

kita selalu duduk di luar = “we always sit outside”
kita sering duduk di luar = “we often sit outside”
kita kadang-kadang duduk di luar = “we sometimes sit outside”
kita tidak pernah duduk di luar = “we never sit outside”

Could you use di musim panas terik instead of pada musim panas terik?

Colloquially, people sometimes say di musim panas terik, and it’s understood. However, the standard and more precise choice for time expressions like seasons is pada. So pada musim panas terik remains the preferred form in formal writing and careful speech.