Learn Hardcore Malay: Saya menilai harga tiket ekonomi sebelum saya tempah. - I assess the price of the economy ticket before I book.

Saya menempah uses the meN- prefix and sounds a bit more formal/standard.
Saya tempah uses the bare verb and is very common in everyday Malaysian Malay.

In careful writing, many prefer menempah; in speech, both are fine. In Indonesian, the equivalent verb is usually memesan/pesan, not tempah.

Can I omit the object after tempah in sebelum saya tempah?

Yes. Malay often drops an object if it’s obvious from context. Here the understood object is the ticket. If you want to make it explicit without repeating the noun, attach the clitic -nya:

sebelum saya menempahnya = before I book it.

You can also repeat the noun: sebelum saya menempah tiket (ekonomi) itu.

Why isn’t there a word for “of” between harga and tiket?

Malay typically shows possession or “of”-relationships by simply placing nouns next to each other, head first:

harga tiket ekonomi = the price of the economy ticket.

You can add a preposition like bagi/untuk (formal) if needed for emphasis or clarity, but it’s not required: harga bagi tiket ekonomi.

Should it be tiket ekonomi or tiket kelas ekonomi?

Both are natural.

tiket ekonomi is concise and widely used.
tiket kelas ekonomi is a bit more explicit/formal and common for flights where “class” is an official category.

For trains/buses that have classes, kelas ekonomi is also used; if there are no formal classes, just tiket is fine.

Is harga the best word here, or should I use tambang?

harga = price (general, any item or service).
tambang = fare (especially for transport: flights, buses, taxis).

Both harga tiket and tambang are acceptable. For air travel, you’ll see all of these: harga tiket, harga tambang, or just tambang. If you want to be transport-specific, tambang is a good choice.

Does menilai sound natural here? What are alternatives?

Menilai means “to evaluate/assess,” which is fine. Depending on what you mean, other common choices are:

Checking: menyemak/semak, memeriksa/periksa, informal cek
- Saya menyemak harga…
Comparing: membandingkan/bandingkan
- Saya membandingkan harga tiket…
Looking at: informal tengok
- Saya tengok harga tiket…

For everyday speech about shopping/travel, semak/cek or bandingkan often sound more natural than menilai.

Why is it menilai and not nilai? Can I say Saya nilai…?

Malay allows both the meN- verb and the bare root verb in many contexts.

Saya menilai… is standard/neutral.
Saya nilai… is also possible, especially in casual speech.

Similarly, (men)tempah alternates the same way: saya menempah vs saya tempah.

What does sebelum do here, and can I move that clause?

Sebelum is a subordinating conjunction meaning “before.” Word order is flexible:

Original: Saya menilai … sebelum saya (men)tempah.
Fronted: Sebelum saya (men)tempah, saya menilai ….
More general: Sebelum menempah, saya menilai …. (no subject in the subordinate clause)

All are natural; choose based on emphasis and style.

Do I need to mark past or future tense?

No. Malay doesn’t inflect verbs for tense. You can add aspect markers or time words if you need clarity:

Completed: sudah/telah — Saya sudah menilai… sebelum saya menempah.
Ongoing: sedang — not typical here.
Future/intended: akan/ingin/mahu — sebelum saya akan menempah is uncommon; better: sebelum saya menempah (context shows it’s future).

Is saya the right pronoun? What about aku, kami, kita?

saya: neutral/polite “I” (safe in most contexts).
aku: casual/intimate.
kami: “we” (exclusive, not including the listener).
kita: “we” (inclusive, including the listener).

So for polite/general use, saya is best: Saya menilai…

How would I make this more formal?

A more formal version uses meN- verbs or nominalizations and avoids object drop:

Saya menyemak/membandingkan harga tiket kelas ekonomi sebelum saya menempahnya.
Very formal: Saya membuat penilaian terhadap harga tiket kelas ekonomi sebelum membuat tempahan.

How would I say it casually?

Several natural options:

Aku tengok dulu harga tiket ekonomi sebelum aku tempah.
Saya cek dulu harga tiket ekonomi sebelum saya tempah. Using dulu means “first/beforehand,” which is idiomatic in casual speech.

What’s the difference between tempah and beli?

tempah = to reserve/book (may or may not involve paying immediately).
beli = to buy/purchase (you pay and acquire it).

For flights and online bookings, tempah tiket often implies paying as part of booking, but beli tiket emphasizes the purchase itself.

Any pronunciation tips for this sentence?

sebelum: the first e is a schwa (uh): sə-be-lum.
saya: two syllables, sa-ya (not “sigh-ya”).
menilai: me-ni-lai; final -ai like English “eye.”
tiket: tee-ket (not “tick-et”).
ekonomi: e-ko-no-mi; the first e is close to “eh.”

Do I need a plural marker if I mean multiple prices/tickets?

Malay doesn’t require plural marking. Context usually handles it. If you want to be explicit:

Reduplication: harga-harga
Quantifiers: pelbagai harga, beberapa harga
With “compare”: membandingkan harga (daripada beberapa syarikat)

Is ekonomi the same as ekonomik?

No.

ekonomi = economy (the field) or “economy class.”
ekonomik = economical (cost-effective). Use tiket ekonomi, not tiket ekonomik.

How would this differ in Indonesian usage?

In Indonesian you’d likely say:

Saya membandingkan harga tiket kelas ekonomi sebelum saya memesan. or more colloquially:
Saya cek dulu harga tiket kelas ekonomi sebelum saya pesan.

Indonesian uses pesan/memesan instead of tempah/menempah.