Tolong jelaskan soalan sejarah itu kepada saya.

Please explain that history question to me.

Breakdown of Tolong jelaskan soalan sejarah itu kepada saya.

• itu: that
• soalan: the question
• kepada: to
• sejarah: the history
• saya: me
• tolong: please
• jelaskan: to explain

Questions & Answers about Tolong jelaskan soalan sejarah itu kepada saya.

What exactly does tolong mean here? Is it help or please?

In this sentence, tolong functions like please in English.

• Literally, tolong means help.
• In requests, Malaysians commonly put Tolong + verb to make the request polite, so it feels like:
  • Tolong jelaskan… ≈ Please explain…

You can still translate it as Help explain that history question to me, but in natural English it’s simply Please explain that history question to me.

Why is it jelaskan and not just jelas?

Jelas is an adjective/adverb meaning clear.

The verb jelaskan is formed by adding -kan:

• jelas (clear) → jelaskan (to make something clear, to explain)

So:

• jelas = clear
• jelaskan = to explain / to clarify

In this sentence, jelaskan is the imperative verb: explain / clarify.
Saying Tolong jelas soalan sejarah itu… would sound wrong; you need the verb form jelaskan.

What does the -kan ending on jelaskan actually do?

The suffix -kan is very common in Malay. It can:

1. Turn adjectives or nouns into verbs meaning “to cause / to make (something) be X”
   
   • jelas (clear) → jelaskan (to make clear = to explain)
2. Mark a transitive verb (a verb that takes a direct object).

In Tolong jelaskan soalan sejarah itu kepada saya:

• jelaskan takes an object: soalan sejarah itu (that history question),
• So -kan here both verb-izes jelas and marks that it acts on an object.

How is soalan sejarah itu structured? Which word means what?

Soalan sejarah itu breaks down like this:

• soalan = question
• sejarah = history
• itu = that

Word order:

• soalan sejarah = history question / question about history
  (head noun soalan
  • describing noun sejarah)
• itu comes at the end to mean that → soalan sejarah itu = that history question

So Malay puts the demonstrative itu after the noun phrase it refers to, not before as in English.

Why does itu come at the end instead of before the noun like in English?

In Malay, demonstratives (ini = this, itu = that) usually come after the noun phrase:

• buku itu = that book
• rumah besar itu = that big house
• soalan sejarah itu = that history question

So while English says that history question, Malay says the equivalent of history question that: soalan sejarah itu.

What’s the difference between ini and itu, and could I say soalan sejarah ini instead?

• ini = this (near the speaker, or something just mentioned / very current)
• itu = that (farther away, or already known / previously mentioned)

You can say:

• soalan sejarah ini = this history question
• soalan sejarah itu = that history question

Both are grammatically correct; which one you use depends on whether you want to refer to this specific question (maybe right in front of you) or that one that both you and the listener already know about.

What does kepada saya mean, and is it necessary?

Kepada saya means to me.

• kepada = to (used mainly for people / recipients)
• saya = I / me (formal or neutral)

Without it:

• Tolong jelaskan soalan sejarah itu.
  = Please explain that history question.
  (no explicit recipient)

With it:

• Tolong jelaskan soalan sejarah itu kepada saya.
  = Please explain that history question to me.

It’s optional in the sense that the sentence is still grammatical without it, but it adds the clear idea that you are the one who wants the explanation.

Can I move kepada saya to another position, like in English?

Yes, Malay word order is a bit flexible here. Common options:

1. Tolong jelaskan soalan sejarah itu kepada saya.
2. Tolong jelaskan kepada saya soalan sejarah itu.

Both are acceptable and natural. Pattern (1) is more common and feels smoother:

• [verb] [object] [kepada saya]

Don’t put kepada in front of everything like English:

• ✗ Kepada saya, tolong jelaskan soalan sejarah itu. (odd in normal speech)

Why is the object soalan sejarah itu placed before kepada saya?

Typical Malay order for a verb with both an object and a recipient is:

Verb + Object + Recipient (kepada + person)

So:

• jelaskan (explain)
• soalan sejarah itu (that history question) → direct object
• kepada saya (to me) → recipient / indirect object

This parallels English explain that history question to me, where the direct object also comes before to me.

How formal or polite is this sentence? Is saya formal?

This sentence is polite and neutral, suitable for most situations.

• tolong softens the imperative → like please
• saya is the standard, neutral, polite I / me

Comparisons:

• saya = neutral, polite; good for talking to teachers, strangers, older people.
• aku = informal / intimate; used with close friends, family, or in casual speech.

Using aku here:

• Tolong jelaskan soalan sejarah itu kepada aku.
  → Much more casual; don’t use with teachers or in formal settings.

Is there a difference between tolong, sila, and using boleh when making requests?

Yes, they all make requests but with different tones:

1. Tolong jelaskan…

   • Common, friendly, politely asking for help.
   • ≈ Please explain…

2. Sila jelaskan…

   • More formal / official; often used in announcements, instructions, or by someone in authority.
   • ≈ Kindly explain… / Please explain… (formal)

3. Boleh jelaskan…? / Boleh tak jelaskan…?

   • Literally: Can (you) explain…?
   • Polite question request, like Could you explain…?

Your sentence with tolong sounds polite and natural in everyday interaction, especially student → teacher.

Is soalan sejarah like an adjective-noun combination? Why doesn’t Malay say sejarah soalan?

In Malay, the head noun usually comes first, followed by words that describe or specify it:

• buku sejarah = history book (literally: book history)
• guru matematik = math teacher (literally: teacher mathematics)
• soalan sejarah = history question (literally: question history)

So:

• Correct: soalan sejarah = history question
• Incorrect: sejarah soalan (this would sound wrong or at least very odd)

How would I say this in a more informal spoken way? Are there small changes native speakers might make?

In casual speech, you might hear:

• Tolong jelaskan soalan sejarah tu pada saya.
  
  • itu → tu (colloquial reduction)
  • kepada → pada (common in speech, though kepada is more standard for people)

Even more informal with a familiar listener and aku:

• Tolong jelaskan soalan sejarah tu kat aku.
  
  • kat (colloquial for di / kepada / pada depending on context)
  • aku instead of saya

Your original sentence is the standard, polite form and is perfect for learners to use.