Learn Hardcore Malay: Awak boleh telefon saya malam ini.

It is commonly used:
- with friends
- with people around your age
- in casual situations
It is not very formal. In more formal or respectful situations you might use:
- Anda – polite, “standard” written/formal you
- Titles like Encik, Puan, Cik, or Abang/Kakak instead of Awak

Using Awak with someone much older or in a very formal context (job interview, official letter) can sound too casual or even a bit rude, depending on the culture of the place.

Why is saya used for me here? I thought saya means I.

In Malay, saya is both:

I (subject)
me (object)

So:

Saya makan. – I eat.
Dia nampak saya. – He/She sees me.

Malay pronouns do not change form for subject vs object like in English (I/me, he/him, etc.).
Some common pairs:

saya = I / me
awak = you (subject or object)
dia = he / him / she / her
kami/kita = we / us
mereka = they / them

So telefon saya literally is call me (or telephone me).

Does boleh mean can or may here? Is this about permission or ability?

Boleh covers several meanings that English separates:

Can / be able to
- Awak boleh berenang? – Can you swim?
May / be allowed to
- Awak boleh masuk. – You may come in.
Soft request: Could you…?
- Awak boleh tolong saya? – Could you help me?

In Awak boleh telefon saya malam ini, context decides the nuance:

Neutral statement: You can call me tonight (it’s possible / I’m available).
With questioning intonation: Could you call me tonight? (a polite request).

Is telefon a verb or a noun here? Do I need a special verb like to call?

Telefon in Malay can be:

a noun: telefon = telephone / phone
a verb: telefon = to call (by phone)

You don’t need an extra verb like make or do. The sentence works like:

Awak boleh telefon saya. – You can (phone-)call me.

Other ways to say call:

hubungi saya – contact me (more formal)
panggil saya – call me (usually calling out to someone, not phone call)

So:

Awak boleh telefon saya malam ini. – You can call me by phone tonight.
Awak boleh hubungi saya malam ini. – You can contact me tonight (sounds a bit more formal).

Could I say menelefon instead of telefon? Is there any difference?

Yes, you can say:

Awak boleh menelefon saya malam ini.

Menelefon is the meN- verb form derived from telefon. In everyday speech:

telefon (bare form) is very common and natural.
menelefon sounds a bit more formal / careful / textbook.

Both mean to telephone / to call by phone, and both are grammatically correct in this sentence.

Do I need a preposition before malam ini, like pada malam ini?

You don’t need a preposition here. Both are correct:

Awak boleh telefon saya malam ini.
Awak boleh telefon saya pada malam ini.

Differences:

malam ini – normal, everyday speech.
pada malam ini – more formal, often used in writing or announcements, or to give slight emphasis to the time.

In casual spoken Malay, people usually just say malam ini.

Can I change the word order, like Malam ini awak boleh telefon saya? Is that still correct?

Yes, you can move the time phrase:

Awak boleh telefon saya malam ini.
Malam ini awak boleh telefon saya.

Both are correct.

Nuance:

Standard / neutral order is Subject – Verb – Object – Time:
Awak (you) boleh telefon (can call) saya (me) malam ini (tonight).
Putting Malam ini at the front can give it a bit of emphasis: As for tonight, you can call me.

This version is natural and common in speech and writing.

Can I drop Awak and just say Boleh telefon saya malam ini?

Yes, in context you can.

Malay often drops the subject pronoun if it’s clear from context who is being talked about:

(Awak) boleh telefon saya malam ini. – (You) can call me tonight.

However:

If it’s the first time you say it (no prior context), including Awak makes it clearer.
Without Awak, it can sound a bit more general or like a suggestion: (Someone) can call me tonight.

So:

With Awak – clearly addressed to you.
Without Awak – still understandable in conversation, but more dependent on context.

How do I turn this into a clear question, like Can you call me tonight?

You can make it a question mainly by intonation and/or punctuation:

Awak boleh telefon saya malam ini? – said with rising intonation.

To make it sound more like a polite request, you often add a softener:

Awak boleh telefon saya malam ini tak?
Awak boleh telefon saya malam ini, ya?
Boleh tak awak telefon saya malam ini?

All of these are natural ways to say Can/Could you call me tonight?

What exactly does malam ini cover? Is it tonight or this evening?

Malam ini literally means this night, and in practice it covers what English calls tonight, including:

evening (after sunset)
night

So if now is afternoon, malam ini = later this evening/tonight.

You might also hear:

nanti malam – later tonight (a bit more casual in some regions)
petang ini – this afternoon / early evening (before it’s really “night”)

Is it okay to mix Awak and saya, or should I use aku / kau or saya / anda together?

Mixing Awak and saya is actually very common and natural in many situations:

Awak – you (casual/neutral)
saya – I/me (polite/neutral)

Common combinations:

aku – kau/engkau – very informal, close friends, can be rude in wrong context
saya – awak – common neutral mix in everyday speech
saya – anda – formal, polite, often in writing or customer-facing language

So Awak boleh telefon saya malam ini sounds normal and natural in many everyday contexts.

If I say Telefon saya malam ini, is that still the same meaning?

Telefon saya malam ini is grammatically correct but the tone changes:

Telefon saya malam ini. – Call me tonight. (more like an instruction / imperative)

By omitting Awak and boleh, you make it sound more direct:

with boleh: Awak boleh telefon saya malam ini. – You can / could call me tonight. (softer)
without boleh: Telefon saya malam ini. – Call me tonight. (a direct request or order)

So yes, same basic idea, but different level of directness.