Learn Hardcore Malay: Dia memberi saya tanggungjawab kedua kerana kerja saya mudah difahami. - He/She gave me the second responsibility because my work is easy to understand.

Dia is the third-person pronoun in Malay, equivalent to English “he” or “she.” Malay does not distinguish gender in its pronouns, so you rely on context to know whether dia is male or female.

Why is memberi followed directly by saya? Can we add kepada?

In Malay, verbs of giving like memberi can take a recipient directly, so memberi saya = “give me.” If you want to be more explicit or formal, you can indeed add kepada:

Dia memberi tanggungjawab kepada saya
Both forms are correct; the version without kepada is simply more concise.

Why does kedua come after tanggungjawab? Could I say kedua tanggungjawab instead?

Ordinal numbers in Malay normally follow the noun they modify. Thus tanggungjawab kedua means “second responsibility.” Placing the ordinal before the noun (kedua tanggungjawab) is not idiomatic in Malay.

What exactly does kedua mean in tanggungjawab kedua?

Here kedua means “second.” It does not mean “both.” If you wanted to say “both responsibilities,” you’d use kedua-dua tanggungjawab.

Why is kerja used here instead of pekerjaan?

Kerja generally refers to a piece of work, task, or the work you’ve produced.
Pekerjaan more often means “occupation” or “job” as in your employment.
Since the sentence talks about “my work” being easy to understand, kerja saya is more natural.

Why is difahami used instead of the active form faham? How is difahami formed?

Difahami is the passive form of faham (“to understand”). You form it by adding the passive prefix di- to the root, inserting any necessary vowels (here: f-a-h-a-m → difahami). The result means “is understood.” Saying mudah difahami (“easy to be understood”) focuses on the work’s clarity rather than someone actively understanding it.

What’s the role of mudah before difahami? Could I say difahami mudah?

Adjectives like mudah (“easy”) normally precede verbs or passive verbs in Malay. Difahami mudah would sound awkward. An alternative phrasing is mudah untuk difahami (“easy to be understood”), but mudah difahami is the most concise and common form.

What’s the difference between kerana and sebab?

Both mean “because,” but:

Kerana is more formal and is often used in written Malay or to link clauses.
Sebab is more colloquial; you’ll hear it more in everyday speech.
You could say Sebab kerja saya mudah difahami, but kerana fits a slightly more formal tone.