Learn Hardcore Malay: Saya akan siapkan tugas ini sebelum kelas bermula. - I will complete this task before class begins.

Akan is a modal marker that expresses a future action (similar to “will” in English). Malay does not inflect verbs for tense, so you often rely on time words or modal markers. Adding akan makes it clear that the action hasn’t happened yet. In casual speech, you can omit it—Saya siapkan tugas ini sebelum kelas bermula still conveys “I’ll finish the assignment before class starts,” but akan makes the future time frame explicit and more formal.

Why is the verb siapkan used instead of menyiapkan?

The root verb is siap (“ready”), and the suffix -kan creates a transitive verb meaning “to prepare” or “to complete.” Formally, Malay verbs often take the prefix meN-, giving menyiapkan. However, in colloquial (and even semi-formal) Malay, the meN- prefix is often dropped after modal words like akan, boleh, or perlu. Hence saya akan siapkan tugas is very common. In strict formal writing you might use Saya akan menyiapkan tugas.

What does the suffix -kan do in siapkan?

The suffix -kan is a valency-increasing suffix. It turns the adjective siap (“ready”) into a verb that means “to make ready,” “to prepare,” or “to complete” something. It indicates that the subject causes the object to reach a state of readiness or completion.

Why is ini placed after tugas (i.e., tugas ini) and not before?

In Malay, demonstrative pronouns ini (“this”) and itu (“that”) follow the noun they modify. So tugas ini means “this assignment.” If you say ini tugas, it becomes a full sentence meaning “This is an assignment,” rather than the noun phrase “this assignment.”

Can I ever put ini before the noun like in English?

Not in a noun phrase. To say “this assignment,” you must use tugas ini. If you front ini as a subject pronoun, you could say Ini tugas saya (“This is my assignment”), but that’s a different structure.

What role does sebelum play, and do I need a comma?

Sebelum means “before” and introduces a temporal clause: “before class starts.” If you start the sentence with sebelum, it’s common to follow it with a comma:
Sebelum kelas bermula, saya akan siapkan tugas ini.
If sebelum appears at the end, you typically omit the comma.

Why is it kelas bermula instead of kelas dimulakan or kelas mulai?

Bermula is an intransitive verb formed with the prefix ber- + mula (“begin/start”), meaning “to begin.” Classes “start” by themselves, so you use the intransitive bermula. Dimulakan is the passive of the transitive memulakan (“to start something”), implying an external agent. Mulai also means “start,” but is slightly more formal and less common in everyday speech for this context.

Can I drop saya in the sentence?

Yes. Malay often omits the subject pronoun when context is clear. So you could simply say:
(Akan) siapkan tugas ini sebelum kelas bermula.
In spoken Malay you might even leave out akan and just say Siapkan tugas ini sebelum kelas bermula for “I’ll get this done before class starts.”

What’s the difference between tugas and kerja rumah?

Tugas is a general term for “task” or “assignment” (school task, work assignment, duty). Kerja rumah literally means “house work,” but in school contexts it specifically means “homework.” Use tugas for a wider range of assignments; use kerja rumah when you mean homework.