Learn Hardcore Malay: Anak kecil itu berani bertanya soalan susah di kelas. - That small child is brave enough to ask a difficult question in class.

Putting itu before the noun (e.g. itu anak kecil) is possible in some contexts, but it often sounds more like a separate phrase (e.g. “that, the small child…”) and is not the normal neutral noun phrase order. The standard pattern is:

[Noun + Adjective + Demonstrative] → anak kecil itu

Does anak kecil itu refer to one child or can it mean the small children as well?

By itself, anak kecil itu is most naturally understood as singular: that small child / the small child.

Malay normally does not mark plural on the noun itself. Context decides whether it is one or more, but if the speaker clearly means more than one child, they usually show it with reduplication or another plural marker:

anak-anak kecil itu = those small children
kanak-kanak itu = those children
anak kecil-kecil itu (more colloquial/emphatic) = those little kids

So:

anak kecil itu → normally one identified child
anak-anak kecil itu → clearly more than one child

Is berani here an adjective (“brave”) or a verb (“to dare”), and how does it work together with bertanya?

In Malay, berani can function both as:

an adjective: berani = brave, courageous
a kind of stative/verb-like word: to be brave enough to / to dare to

In this sentence:

Anak kecil itu berani bertanya soalan susah di kelas.

berani is describing the child’s courage in relation to an action (asking a difficult question). It works a bit like an English modal:

berani bertanya ≈ dares to ask / is brave enough to ask

So structurally, you can think of it as:

Anak kecil itu berani [bertanya soalan susah di kelas].
→ The child is brave to [ask a difficult question in class].

Why are there two verb-like words in a row, berani bertanya? Is that normal in Malay?

Yes, it is normal. Malay often allows sequences like:

berani pergi (dare to go)
malas belajar (lazy to study)
suka membaca (like to read)

Here, berani functions a bit like a “modal” or “attitude” word, and bertanya is the main action:

berani = dares / is brave enough
bertanya = to ask

So:

berani bertanya = dare to ask / be brave enough to ask

This pattern ([attitude word] + [main verb]) is very common and natural in Malay.

What is the difference between tanya and bertanya? Could I say Anak kecil itu berani tanya soalan susah di kelas?

tanya is the root; bertanya is the ber- form built from that root.

tanya (root) = ask
- Common in everyday, colloquial speech.
bertanya = to ask (more formal/standard, intransitive use)

In standard written/spoken Malay, bertanya is preferred in a sentence like this:

Anak kecil itu berani bertanya soalan susah di kelas.

In informal speech, you will indeed hear:

Anak kecil itu berani tanya soalan susah di kelas.

This is understandable and sounds natural in casual contexts, but if you are aiming for textbook-standard Malay, keep bertanya here.

What does the prefix ber- do in bertanya?

The prefix ber- is very common in Malay. Among its functions, with many verbs it:

turns a root into an intransitive verb (an action the subject does, often without a direct object), or
indicates that the subject is doing or being in a certain state.

With tanya (ask):

tanya = ask (root form, often used in colloquial speech)
bertanya = to ask (standard intransitive verb form)

You often see ber- used in similar ways:

baca → membaca (to read) – here meN- is used, not ber-
jalan → berjalan (to walk)
cakap → bercakap (to speak / talk)

So bertanya is simply the standard verb form meaning to ask.

Why is it soalan susah (noun + adjective) and not susah soalan, like in English (difficult question) where the adjective comes first?

Malay adjective order is usually the reverse of English:

English: adjective + noun → difficult question
Malay: noun + adjective → soalan susah

So:

soalan = question
susah = difficult / hard

→ soalan susah = difficult question

Other examples:

buku baru = new book
guru baik = good teacher
kelas besar = big class

Putting susah in front (susah soalan) is not normal as a noun phrase; it would sound incorrect in standard Malay.

Is it necessary to say bertanya soalan, since bertanya already means to ask a question?

You’ve noticed something real: bertanya by itself already has the idea of “asking (a question)”.

Dia bertanya. = He/She asked (a question).

Adding soalan (question) makes it explicit what is being asked, and allows you to specify its quality:

bertanya soalan susah = ask a difficult question
bertanya banyak soalan = ask many questions
bertanya soalan tentang sejarah = ask a question about history

So bertanya soalan is a bit redundant in the most literal sense, but it is very natural Malay when you want to describe the type, number, or topic of the question.

Could we say soalan yang susah instead of soalan susah? Is there a difference?

Both are grammatically correct:

soalan susah
soalan yang susah

yang is a relative marker, often used to introduce a descriptive phrase. The nuance:

soalan susah = difficult question(s), a simple noun + adjective combination; very neutral.
soalan yang susah = the question(s) that are difficult; a bit more descriptive or emphasised.

In many contexts they are interchangeable, but soalan susah is shorter and very natural for a general statement like this sentence. soalan yang susah can sound slightly more focused, as if you are picking those particular difficult questions out of a group.

What is the difference between di kelas, dalam kelas, and di dalam kelas?

All are possible, but with slightly different typical uses or nuances.

di kelas
- Literally: at/in class.
- Common, natural way to say “in class” or “during class” as a setting.
- Used in your sentence: soalan susah di kelas = difficult question in class.
dalam kelas
- Literally: inside the class/inside the classroom.
- Emphasises being inside the classroom/lesson, slightly more spatial.
di dalam kelas
- Literally: at inside (the) class.
- Often used for extra clarity or emphasis on the location being inside the classroom.
- A bit more formal/explicit: in/inside the classroom.

In many everyday situations, di kelas is perfectly sufficient and most natural for “in class” in a sentence like this.

How do we know the tense of Anak kecil itu berani bertanya soalan susah di kelas? Is it past, present, or future?

Malay verbs generally do not change form for tense. The sentence:

Anak kecil itu berani bertanya soalan susah di kelas.

can, in isolation, be interpreted as:

The small child dared to ask a difficult question in class. (past)
The small child dares to ask difficult questions in class. (present, habitual)
The small child will dare to ask a difficult question in class. (future, less common without a marker)

Usually, context or time words make it clear:

Semalam, anak kecil itu berani bertanya soalan susah di kelas.
Yesterday, the child dared to ask a difficult question in class. (past)
Setiap hari, anak kecil itu berani bertanya soalan susah di kelas.
Every day, the child dares to ask difficult questions in class. (habitual present)
Nanti, anak kecil itu akan berani bertanya soalan susah di kelas.
Later, the child will dare to ask a difficult question in class. (future)

So tense comes from context or time markers, not from changing the verb form.

Can we change the word order, for example: Di kelas, anak kecil itu berani bertanya soalan susah?

Yes. Malay allows you to move location or time phrases to the front of the sentence for emphasis or to set the scene:

Original:
- Anak kecil itu berani bertanya soalan susah di kelas.
Fronted location:
- Di kelas, anak kecil itu berani bertanya soalan susah.

Both sentences are grammatical and natural. The meaning is the same; the difference is in focus:

Original: main focus on the child and what they did.
Fronted: sets “in class” as the context first, then tells you about the child.

This kind of word-order flexibility is common in Malay, especially with time and place phrases.