Learn Hardcore Malay: Tugas kedua saya hari ini mudah dan pendek.

In Malay, possessive pronouns follow the noun: buku saya, rumah kami. So tugas kedua saya literally means my second task. Placing saya first (saya tugas) would be ungrammatical.

What does kedua mean and how are ordinal numbers formed in Malay?

Kedua means second. Malay ordinals generally use the prefix ke- plus the base number, sometimes with -an (e.g. ke-4 or keempat). The first three are irregular: pertama (first), kedua (second), ketiga (third). From there you can say keempat (fourth), kelima (fifth), or use ke-4, ke-5, etc.

Why is there no verb like is in the sentence?

Malay typically omits the copula in simple descriptive statements. You directly say Subject + Adjective. In formal writing, you can insert ialah or adalah:
Tugas kedua saya hari ini adalah mudah dan pendek.

Are adjectives always placed after the noun in Malay?

Yes. When they modify a noun, adjectives follow it: rumah besar (big house), kereta laju (fast car). In predicate position, they still follow the subject: Tugas saya mudah (My task is easy). You cannot say mudah tugas saya to mean the same thing.

What is hari ini, and why is ini after hari?

Hari means day and ini means this. Together, hari ini literally means this day, i.e. today. Demonstratives like ini (this) and itu (that) always come after the noun in Malay.

Can I move hari ini to the beginning of the sentence?

Yes. Time expressions are flexible. You can say:
Hari ini, tugas kedua saya mudah dan pendek.
This simply foregrounds today.

What’s the difference between mudah and pendek in this context?

Mudah means easy (referring to difficulty), while pendek means short (referring to length or duration). The sentence tells you the task is both uncomplicated and brief.

Can I use intensifiers like sangat with these adjectives?

Absolutely. For example:
Tugas kedua saya hari ini sangat mudah dan sangat pendek.
You can also choose to emphasize only one quality:
Tugas kedua saya hari ini sangat mudah dan pendek
or
Tugas kedua saya hari ini mudah dan sangat pendek.

Why are there no words for a or the in this sentence?

Malay doesn’t use articles like a or the. Nouns stand alone, and context shows if they’re definite. To add emphasis or specify, you can follow the noun with a demonstrative:
tugas kedua saya itu (that second task of mine).