Learn Hardcore Malay: Dalam subjek matematik, saya selalu semak markah dengan teliti. - In the mathematics subject, I always check my score carefully.

dalam – literally inside / within, and by extension in the context of.
- Dalam subjek matematik, saya… = In the context of the math subject, I…
di – means at / in / on for physical locations or specific points:
- di sekolah = at school
- di meja = on/at the table
pada – used for:
- time: pada hari Isnin = on Monday
- non-physical “targets”: marah pada dia = angry at him/her

You could say Dalam matematik… or Dalam subjek matematik…, but Di subjek matematik sounds odd because a subject is a context, not a physical location.

Is subjek matematik the normal way to say “math class / math subject”? Could I just say matematik?

Subjek matematik literally means the subject of mathematics. It’s fine and understandable, especially in school contexts.

Common alternatives:

Matematik alone is very common:
- Dalam matematik, saya selalu semak markah…
  = In math, I always check the marks…
Mata pelajaran Matematik is more formal/academic:
- Dalam mata pelajaran Matematik…

So, in everyday speech/writing:

Dalam matematik… – perfectly natural.
Dalam subjek matematik… – also fine, slightly more “school-ish”.
Dalam mata pelajaran Matematik… – most formal.

Why does the sentence start with Dalam subjek matematik instead of starting with Saya?

Malay word order is flexible. Both are grammatical:

Dalam subjek matematik, saya selalu semak markah dengan teliti.
Saya selalu semak markah dengan teliti dalam subjek matematik.

Starting with Dalam subjek matematik:

Puts the context (math) first.
Sounds like you’re contrasting it with other subjects:
- e.g. In math I do this, but maybe not in other subjects.

Starting with Saya:

Focuses more on you and your habit:
- Saya selalu semak markah dengan teliti dalam subjek matematik.

Meaning is the same; the difference is nuance and emphasis.

What exactly does semak mean here, and is it the same as check?

In this context, semak means to check / to go through / to review (usually to look for mistakes or to confirm something).

Here it is used as:

semak markah = check the marks / review the scores

Common meanings of semak:

To check / review / verify
- semak kerja rumah = check homework
- semak jawapan = check answers
To proofread
- semak karangan = proofread an essay
(Different meaning) scrub/bush/undergrowth as a noun. This is unrelated to the “check/review” meaning and just happens to be the same spelling.

You could also use periksa (to examine/check):

Saya selalu periksa markah dengan teliti.

But semak markah is very natural in a school/test context.

Is markah singular or plural? Does it mean “a mark”, “marks”, or “score”?

Malay usually doesn’t mark singular vs plural on the noun itself, so markah can mean:

a mark / a point / a score
marks / points / scores (plural), depending on context

Examples:

Saya dapat 90 markah. = I got 90 marks/points.
Saya semak markah pelajar. = I check the students’ marks/scores.

Related words:

skor – score (borrowed from English)
gred – grade (A, B, C…)
pemarkahan – marking scheme / scoring (more technical)

In your sentence, semak markah is best understood as check the marks/scores.

What does dengan teliti mean, and why do we need dengan?

Teliti is an adjective meaning careful / thorough / meticulous.
Dengan means with.

Together, dengan teliti literally means with carefulness and functions as an adverbial phrase:

semak markah dengan teliti = check the marks carefully / thoroughly

This is a common way in Malay to turn an adjective into an adverb-like phrase:

perlahan (slow) → dengan perlahan (slowly)
cepat (fast) → dengan cepat (quickly)
hati-hati (careful) → dengan hati-hati (carefully)

You could also just say saya teliti semasa menyemak markah, but dengan teliti after the verb is very natural.

What is the difference between selalu and sentiasa for “always”?

Both can translate as always, but there is a nuance:

selalu
- Most common in everyday speech.
- Can mean often / usually / regularly / always, depending on context.
- Saya selalu semak markah… = I always / usually check the marks…
sentiasa
- Stronger sense of all the time / constantly / at all times.
- Often feels a bit more formal or emphatic.
- Saya sentiasa semak markah dengan teliti. = I always (without fail) check the marks carefully.

In your sentence, selalu is very natural. If you want to stress that you literally never skip this habit, sentiasa is an option.

Can I move selalu to another position in the sentence?

The most natural position is exactly where it is:

Saya selalu semak markah dengan teliti.

Other options and how they sound:

Saya semak markah dengan teliti selalu. – Understandable, but sounds odd and less natural.
Selalu saya semak markah dengan teliti. – Possible, used for emphasis in speech (sounds a bit dramatic or poetic).

General rule:

Put selalu right after the subject (e.g., after saya, dia, mereka, guru).
Avoid placing it between the verb and its object:
- ✗ Saya semak selalu markah. – sounds wrong/unnatural.

Is the sentence formal, casual, or neutral? Would I use this with a teacher?

The sentence is neutral and suitable in almost any context:

Vocabulary is standard: dalam, subjek, matematik, saya, selalu, semak, markah, dengan teliti.
No slang or very formal words.

You can safely use it:

When talking to a teacher.
In writing (e.g., an essay about your study habits).
In casual conversation with friends (though with friends you might switch saya to aku).

If you wanted to be slightly more formal, you might say:

Dalam mata pelajaran Matematik, saya sentiasa menyemak markah dengan teliti.

Why is saya used and not aku? Are they interchangeable?

Both mean I / me, but they differ in formality and setting:

saya
- Polite, neutral.
- Used with teachers, strangers, in class, at work, in writing.
aku
- Informal, intimate.
- Used with close friends, siblings, sometimes online chat.
- Might sound rude or too casual in formal situations.

In your sentence, saya is appropriate because you’re talking in a neutral/possibly school context:

Saya selalu semak markah dengan teliti. – safe in almost all situations.
Aku selalu semak markah dengan teliti. – fine with close friends, but not recommended in class or to teachers.

Is there any tense marker in saya selalu semak markah? How do we know if it’s present or past?

Malay usually does not mark tense on the verb. Semak stays the same for past, present, and future.

The time is understood from:

context
time words like semalam (yesterday), sekarang (now), esok (tomorrow)
adverbs like selalu (always/usually)

Your sentence describes a habit, so in English we’d normally use the present simple: I always check the marks carefully.

But depending on surrounding context, the same Malay sentence could be understood as:

I always check the marks carefully (nowadays / habit).
I always checked the marks carefully (back then), if the context is clearly in the past.

Malay leaves this to context instead of verb endings.

Could I say Untuk subjek matematik instead of Dalam subjek matematik?

You can say Untuk subjek matematik, but the nuance changes slightly.

Dalam subjek matematik = In the subject of mathematics / In math (class)
– focuses on the context or environment (within that subject, this is how I behave).
Untuk subjek matematik = For the subject of mathematics
– sounds more like for purposes related to that subject, e.g. requirements, materials, strategies.

Examples:

Untuk subjek Matematik, kamu perlu sebuah kalkulator.
= For math, you need a calculator.
Dalam subjek Matematik, saya selalu semak markah dengan teliti.
= In math, I always check marks carefully.

In your sentence, dalam is more natural because you are talking about what you do within that subject.